{"id":331696,"date":"2018-10-09T09:00:34","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T16:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=331696"},"modified":"2018-10-03T09:10:31","modified_gmt":"2018-10-03T16:10:31","slug":"celebrate-the-induction-of-jurgen-schmidt-into-the-international-masters-swimming-hall-of-fame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/celebrate-the-induction-of-jurgen-schmidt-into-the-international-masters-swimming-hall-of-fame\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate the Induction of Jurgen Schmidt Into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jurgen Schmidt<\/strong>\u00a0has been ranked in the Top Ten for\u00a043\u00a0years. He has\u00a0competed in two FINA Masters World Championships,1988\u00a0and 2006, winning one gold, four silver and two\u00a0bronze medals.<\/p>\n

Schmidt\u2019s\u00a0biggest change in competitive swimming\u00a0came\u00a0in 1973 when\u00a0he\u00a0read an article in the Chicago Tribune about an upcoming national long course meet at Circle Campus (University of\u00a0IL) in August 1973.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Schmidt then joined the Ryall Masters. \u00a0He\u00a0placed in the Top 5 in the 50-54 age group and swam against ISHOF Honoree\u00a0Doc Counsilman<\/strong>\u00a0in the 1500m\u00a0freestyle.\u00a0 He\u00a0was hooked.\u00a0\u00a0 During the next few years\u00a0he\u00a0was involved with\u00a0Paul Huntinger<\/strong>,\u00a0Bobbi Turcotte<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Frank Havlicek<\/strong>\u00a0in forming the Illinois Masters and putting on swim meets.<\/p>\n

Schmidt\u2019s most memorable moment in Masters was winning the 50m\u00a0butterfly and 100m\u00a0freestyle, plus swimming on\u00a0the\u00a0National Record setting 200m\u00a0freestyle\u00a0and 200m\u00a0medley relays.\u00a0 It took\u00a0him\u00a0five years to accomplish this and\u00a0he\u00a0did it at Brown\u00a0University long course meet in 1978.<\/p>\n

Another love of\u00a0Schmidt are\u00a0the open water and distance swims. One of the best was a six over 60 age relay, swimming from San Pedro, California to Catalina Island in September 1985.\u00a0\u00a0Not only did they finish\u00a0it\u00a0but also\u00a0set\u00a0a new record in\u00a0their\u00a0age group.<\/p>\n

In\u00a01989\u00a0he\u00a0moved to Lompoc, California to take care of\u00a0his\u00a0parents who were in their 90\u2019s. During those years\u00a0he\u00a0never stopped competing and swam for various clubs. In Lompoc\u00a0he\u00a0started working out with\u00a0his\u00a0best friend, IMSHOF Honoree,\u00a0Frank\u00a0Piemme<\/strong>. They\u00a0went to all the local meets and some Nationals\u00a0Championships.<\/p>\n

In 2013, Schmidt was a member of the 360+ relays, setting world records in the 200m, 400m\u00a0and\u00a0800m\u00a0freestyle;\u00a0200m\u00a0IM, and 400m\u00a0IM in LCM.\u00a0 In 2015,\u00a0he\u00a0became a Speedo spokesman for \u201cFueled By Water\u201d<\/a>, a video on the then 90-year-old\u00a0swimmer.<\/p>\n

Masters Swimming has been Jurgen Schmidt\u2019s\u00a0life saver.\u00a0\u00a0The camaraderie and many lifelong friends that he has made during his 43 years in Masters Swimming are things he will never forget.\u00a0With the help of his\u00a0fitness routine\u00a0he continues\u00a0to be\u00a0a complete, healthy, happy person.\u00a0\u00a0His\u00a0attitude, compassion, and desire to\u00a0swim\u00a0another day has made it possible to lovingly care 24\/7 for\u00a0his\u00a0wife, who suffers from\u00a0Alzheimer\u2019s Disease.<\/p>\n