Israeli Swimming Website, WaterGate, Comes Online

KFAR-SABA, Israel, May 3. BACKED by Michael Shapira and Swimming World Israeli correspondent Buky Chass, Israeli swimming now has a central online location for news regarding the sport in the country and from around the world – WaterGate.

The site, which has been granted Israeli translation rights to Swimming World content, can be accessed at www.watergate.co.il.

In the site's own words, here are its Mission Statement and key supporters:

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

In the near future Israel will have an Olympic Medalist in Swimming! This is an ambitious statement at this point in time. But, this is exactly the way to start a journey to fulfill a dream of ours here at the WaterGate swimming web site. We hope that you will adopt this statement and will believe that it can be done. We will never agree to say that to make an Olympic Semi Final is our goal. We will agree to nothing less than our belief that an Israeli swimmer can and will win a Medal at the Olympic Games in the near future.

I have heard in the past professional sports men who easily and quickly disagree with our Mission Statement because it is a thought beyond their ability or imagination. Our role here is to be the outright post to strengthen the belief that an Olympic Medal is attainable by an Israeli Swimmer. I will personally attend to the Olympic Dream, and use every publishing means to give thinking individuals strength and courage to drive toward this goal and to achieve it. I will give everything I can to these athletes, men and women who give their best years in an attempt achieve their goals on the account of their families and friends.

The way to attain our Mission Statement will take changing the behavioral models of our Israeli attitude and it will have to begin with our leading sport institutions that do not always understand that the athletes are the founding stones that they hold in their hand. Without the athletes there will be no jobs, not traveling, in short no more "Goodies". Around the world in the third world countries and in the former Soviet Union, success in sports meant coming out of poverty and other difficulties in life. Here in Israel the situation is different. The youth have to encounter many strong temptations far away from sports. Therefore we who are not athletes like, referees, administrators, coaches, swimming instructors etc', have to admire and bless the opportunity given to us to serve these athletes. When and if we will understand this massage we will be on our way to achieve our Mission Statement.

With me and with my friends at the editorial of this Web Site the "WaterGate" you will be able to embark on this journey toward this dream statement.

Yours,
Michael Shapira

WHO WE ARE

The first step towards achieving our Mission Statement which you have seen above was to assemble a group of good friends whose main force was not money, power or fame but the idea that we can all improve the sport of swimming in Israel. We could do that if we unite our knowledge, experience, energy and enthusiasm and concentrate on our Mission Statement.

So I did and the following is the initial, founding elite group of people to set the WaterGate swimming web site on the road:

Mr. Michael Shapira – The founding father of the site. Considers himself as a swimming enthusiast, avid learner of the discipline of swimming and if you with known as the father of……

Dr. Buky Chass – Our professional consultant and a close friend. We have been going hand in hand in swimming for a long time. A former international swimmer, coach, teacher and radio and T.V. color commentator. He is an important part of this site.

Mr. Gershon Shefa – A talented writer and a friend. As a kid I adored his swimming achievements (3 Olympic appearances). A former National coach and currently a world leading Master swimmer and a coach.

Mr. David Liles – A British coach, presently coaches at the Chinese Center of excellence in Shanghais. He understands, lives, and breathes swimming.

Prof. Andrei Voronchov – The Head Coach of the Russian National swimming team. A true personal friend from my time in England.

Dr. David Payne – The head physiologist of the Australian Sport Institute.

Mr. Wayne Goldsmith – A leading Australian swimming coach. Mental coach for many athletes.

Elran, Dana and Nimrod Shapira Bar- Or – My three great wonderful kids. My back wind good friends to each other and to me.

There are many more who contribute to the founding of this swimming web-site: The Editorial Staff of the Swimming World Magazine and swimming web site, swimming scientists, local and foreign coaches, present and past leading swimmers and many more.

To all of you I say a big: THANK YOU!!!!

MICHAEL SHAPIRA

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