Dan Simonelli to be Inducted as an Honor Coach in the International Marathon Swimming Hall

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Ned Denison, chairperson of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, announced Dan Simonelli as an Honor Coach in the IMSHOF Class of 2024.

Simonelli from San Diego, California is always around, in, or on the water. He serves multiple roles and wears all kinds of hats in the open water:

founded the Open Water Swim Academy (OWSA),
founded the 18.6 km Around Coronado Swim that is one of the most highly sought-after marathon swims on the West Coast
race director of the Scripps Pier-To-Cove Swim
coach of The Zombie Patrol
active with the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation
recipient of the Service to Marathon Swimming Award, given by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
completed 14 marathon swims as a soloist including crossings of the English Channel and Catalina Channel, the 60 km SCAR Swim Challenge, and a 17.5 km circumnavigation swim around Anacapa Island in 7 hours 21 minutes
patron of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
raised over US$200,000 for the Swim Across America Catalina and English Channel relays

But most impressively, Simonelli has been the most active coach, escort crew member, and observer for channel swimmers in Southern California, consistently since 2011. Over these 12 years, he has driven from his home in San Diego and missed nearly an entire year of sleep on nightly crossings, to support more than 300 solo and relay crossings of the Catalina Channel and Santa Barbara Channel.

The raw data of his passion is overwhelming: he has coached and crewed swimmers from 6 countries who have achieved more than 100 swims of 10 km, more than 100 swims of 16 km, and more than 65 swims of 25 km or more.

His reach stretches widely. From newbies and disabled swimmers to International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame honorees including Kimberley Chambers (2013), Attila Mányoki (2015), Antonio Argüelles (across Catalina Channel and around Manhattan Island), Chloë McCardel (across Catalina Channel and English Channel), Jaime Lomelin Gavaldón (2019). He coached and organized swims for teenagers with disabilities across the Santa Barbara Channel, Catalina Channel, English Channel, Molokai Channel, in Italy between 2015 and 2020. In addition to the actual crossings, solo swims, and relays, Simonelli also regularly kayaks for swimmers in heavy training and practicing for all kinds of adventures.

Selfless, experienced, devoted, and passionate, Simonelli is truly a swimming sherpa. He is there when swimmers call and dangers arise.

In 2019, he received the Carnegie Medal Hero Award. The Carnegie Medal Hero Commission describes Simonelli’s act of heroism, “Daniel Simonelli helped to save a man from drowning, La Jolla, California [on] January 10th 2019. After entering the Pacific Ocean from a beach in a cove, the man struggled to swim as high, surging waves washed him toward a rocky bluff along the shoreline. The man was alone in the water, and no lifeguards were on duty. Overlooking the scene, Simonelli, 53, swim coach, saw the man in distress and concluded that he needed help. As a bystander notified first-responders, Simonelli removed his outer clothing, entered the 60°F water, and, wearing swim fins, swam to the man, who was near the opening of a rocky notch at the base of the bluff. Navigating large, frequent waves, Simonelli ultimately grasped the man and guided him to a point away from the rocks but also farther from the beach. Simonelli remained with the man as an arriving lifeguard reached them on a personal watercraft and another swam out to them from shore. Using the watercraft, the lifeguards took the man to safety, leaving Simonelli behind. Simonelli returned to the beach under his own power. He was cold and nearly exhausted, but did not require medical treatment.”