U.S. Masters Swimming Open Water Service Award

Recipient:	Jim Wheeler
Year:	2015
LMSC:	Pacific

Jim Wheeler, a longtime USMS member, held numerous positions in USMS and the Pacific LMSC. He was recognized by Pacific as the Contributor of the Year in 1999. Jim was a member for 6 years on both the USMS Open Water Committee and the Long Distance Committee. In 2009 Jim was awarded the prestigious Paragon Award for Aquatic Safety from the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He presented at over 150 local, state and national conferences on the subject of aquatic inspections and was considered an innovator and a leader in the field of aquatics. Jim drafted the Open Water Safety Manual which is still in use today and used at both the local and national level. Jim also served as Pacific LMSC’s Open Water Chair for many years, coordinating many open water swims each year.