The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) is proud to announce that Rick Colella, will be inducted into the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2019 during the MISHOF Induction ceremony in St. Louis, MO, on Friday evening, September 13, 2019, to be held in conjunction with the United States Aquatic Sports convention. The MISHOF Induction Ceremony is open to the public and free of charge, so come join ISHOF in honoring Rick Colella.
About Rick Colella
Seattle-born, Rick Colella, started competitive swimming at age eight and rose through the ranks along with his older sister, Lynn. Both were star swimmers at the University of Washington and Olympic prospects. By the time he was in his early 20’s, he was one of the best swimmers in the world and represented the United States at the Munich and Montreal Olympic Games. He won a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke in Montreal.
After swimming, Rick Colella then took a job with Boeing as a flight-operations engineer and dabbled in other sports including running, canoeing and Nordic skiing. In 1990, the year the King County Aquatics Center was built for the Goodwill Games, Colella started swimming again with a group of five friends.
Rick Colella with the coach from Cascade and Totem Lake; Photo Courtesy: Rick Colella
“I realized swimming is a great exercise as you get older. Whereas jogging and other sports got too hard on my body, swimming makes less of an impact but still keeps me fit,” he said.
Since competing in Masters, Colella has set 47 Masters World Records and the longevity of some of his records is what makes them more impressive. His 200-breaststroke short course world record in the 60-64 age group has stood for eight years.
MISHOF Induction Class of 2019
The prestigious MISHOF class of 2019 includes five swimmers, one diver, one synchronized swimmer, one water polo player and one contributor, from five (5) different countries: the USA, Canada, Lithuania, Brazil and Japan:
SWIMMER INDUCTEES:
CAROLINE KRATTLI (USA)
SATOKO TAKEUJI (JPN)
RICK COLELLA (USA)
ROWDY GAINES (USA)
WILLARD LAMB (USA)
DIVER INDUCTEE:
ASTA GIRDAUSKIENE (LIT)
SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER INDUCTEE:
MARJORIE ANDERSON (CAN)
WATER POLO PLAYER INDUCTEE:
JOAO “PEPITO” MEIRELLES (BRA)
CONTRIBUTOR INDUCTEE:
JIM MILLER (USA)
Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame
View all inductees in the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Get more information about nominating a candidate for the 2020 MISHOF Induction class.
About MISHOF
The purpose of the MISHOF is to promote a healthy lifestyle, lifelong fitness and participation in adult aquatic programs by recognizing the achievements of individuals who serve as an example for others. To be considered, honorees must have participated in Masters programs through at least four different masters age groups and are qualified by an objective point system based on world records, world top 10 rankings and World Championship performances. The MISHOF is a division of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, please visit ISHOF website.
About ISHOF
The International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc. (ISHOF), established in 1965, is a not-for-profit educational organization located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Recognized by FINA, the International Olympic Committee’s recognized governing body for the aquatic sports in 1968, its mission is to preserve the history of swimming, celebrate the heroes, promote the benefits and importance of swimming as a key to fitness, good health, quality of life, and the water safety of all children and adults, and connect older generations of swimmers to youth.
For more information, call Meg-Keller-Marvin at 570 594-4367 or e-mail:meg@ishof.org
Well deserved!! Congratulations Rick!!
An added plus is that he got a GREEN heat sheet at Nationals
Congratulations