Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Not only is Craig Beardsley a hero in many people’s eyes because of his passionate work at Swim Across America, but he is a hero to many competitive pool swimmers from the 1970s on.

AP reporter Paul Newberry writes a telling article about Beardsley here.

“He was a great butterflyer in my generation. I just watched him and always wondered, ‘How does he do that?’“, recalled Steven Munatones. “He wasn’t big, but he was fluid and flexible. He interacted with the water so beautifully. It was an honor to see him literally skim over the water – and then finish with that big warm smile of his.

He brings the same joy and passion to helping raise money for Swim Across America events as he demonstrated as a competitive swimmer throughout his career. Gold medal or not, Craig will always be a hero to many of my generation and, through all his work at Swim Across America, he remains heroic for many swimmers and non-swimmers alike in this century.”

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