On Jan. 25, the Parks and Recreation Department of the city
of Detroit will honor one of Puerto Rico's best known distance swimmers
and environmentalists, former Navy Frogman Harry Hauck.
"The Harry Hauck Recreation Swimming Relays"
will be held in the city of Detroit on that day to honor the veteran
swimmer and coach. The event was organized at the behest of a group of
Hauck's ex-swimmers, who petitioned the city to recognize Hauck's
contribution to Detroit's swimming
program.
Hauck learned to swim at
a recreation center on Detroit's east side at the
age of 18 and went on to compete in many AAU swim meets.
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He earned
his varsity swimming letter in 1951 at Wayne State University while
working for the Detroit Recreation Department as a swimming
instructor.
Later, during the Korean War, he joined the
U.S. Navy and became one of it famous Frogmen. After his naval discharge
in 1955, he returned to college and picked up his position as a swimming
instructor for the Recreation Department.
In
the ensuing years, he coached and trained many swimming champions at his
recreation center. Among his proteges were one world record
holder and Olympian and many city, state, national, international,
high school, Big Ten, NCAA, AAU senior and age-group
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swimmers and water polo
players.
In 1964, Hauck moved to Puerto Rico to
coach at the Caribe Hilton Swim and Tennis Club. In the years that
followed, Hauck introduced men's and women's water polo, women's
synchronized swimming and masters swimming into the Puerto Rico arena. He
was head coach of Puerto Rico's men's water polo team for two CCCAN Games
and one Pan American Game. He was inducted into the Puerto Rico Sports
Hall of Fame in 1969. Hauck was also known for his ultra long-distance
swimming feats, having swum non-stop from St. Thomas to Puerto Rico at age
55. He also swam a |
relay with his family across
the English Channel at age 57, swam around Puerto Rico at age 60 (Say NO
to Drugs) and twice swam 24 hours non-stop at
the Escambron Lagoon to highlight AIDS awareness at the ages of
65 and 66.
He also is a scuba diving instructor and
environ- mentalist who has been going underwater with his diving students
at public beaches and picking up trash for the last 35 years.
Hauck has been nominated for induction into
Wayne State University Athletic Hall of Fame in February 2008. His name
also has been submitted to the International Swimming Hall of
Fame. |