Bruce Wigo

From Openwaterpedia
Bruce Wigo (left) with International Swimming Hall of Fame board of directors
Book by Bruce Wigo

Bruce Wigo is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Swimming Hall of Fame since 2005. He is currently the ISHOF Historian and Curator.

In 1991, he took over as the Executive Director of USA Water Polo and helped bail out the nearly bankrupt sport's federation. His work laid the groundwork for the re-emergence of American water polo on the international scene. In his thirteen years as the Executive Director, Wigo increased membership from fewer than 8,000 members to more than 30,000 members. He also more than tripled the annual budget to over US$3.5 million and raised over US$1.5 million for the establishment of a water polo national training center in Los Alamitos, California.

Publication

In 2009, Wigo self-published the book The Golden Age of Swimming: A Picture History of the Sport & Pools That Changed America. The book chronicles the pastime's beginnings in ancient Rome, through the Victorian and into the 20th century. Its artwork comes from a collection of photographs, postcards, news clippings and other history sources, painstakingly assembled by Wigo. The Golden Age of Swimming also deals with the sport's darker past, such as racial discrimination when large public pools first became popular.

Family

His oldest son, Wolf, is a three-time Olympic water polo player and currently the head water polo coach at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Daughter Lauren is the corporate yoga instructor for Allen & Company in New York City and his two younger sons, identical twins Drac and Janson, are NCAA All-American water polo players at Stanford University.

Creator

Wigo has also created the Swim Safety Device, a personal safety flotation device used by the open water swimming and triathlon markets. He also wrote and published the book, The Golden Age of Swimming, a pictorial history of the sport and pools that changed America.

Water Polo

Wigo was the former CEO of USA Water Polo and was inducted in the 36th Class of the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.

Lynne Cox Story

To The Saviors

He is included as one of the saviors in the video tribute, To The Saviors. The Guardian of Aquatic History is an American attorney, author, and historian who served as the President and CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) from 2005 to 2017. A graduate of Virginia's Washington and Lee University and the George Mason University School of Law, Wigo combined his legal precision with a lifelong passion for water sports to save and modernize the world’s premier aquatic museum.

When Wigo took the helm, the ISHOF faced significant financial and structural challenges. He is credited with: Economic Stabilization: Rescuing the institution from the brink of closure and securing its future in Fort Lauderdale. Historical Curation: Significantly expanding the museum's archives and digitizing records to share the human story of swimming globally. Wigo's influence extends far beyond the museum. A former water polo player and coach, he served as the Executive Director of USA Water Polo (1991–2003), where he led the organization through a period of massive growth and Olympic success. He is also a staunch advocate for drowning prevention, often using historical research to demonstrate the evolution of "learn-to-swim" programs as a vital tool for social justice and public safety. A prolific writer and expert on aquatic lore, Wigo continues to serve as an advisor to the swimming community, ensuring that the lessons of the past inform the safety and successes of the future. Bruce Wigo is the one of those men who needs no introductions. His work speaks itself.

External links

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