Penny Lee Dean
Encyclopedia
Penny Lee Dean is an American
long distance swimmer began her career with her swim across frigid San Francisco bay at age 10. Later, as a swimmer for Pomona College, she was a six-time All-American. By 1976, she had swum from the mainland of California to Catalina Island in the overall world record of 7:15:55 - 1.5 hours under the former record, and a record that still stands. The next year she set the world record from the island to the mainland on her way to a 50 mile double crossing of the Catalina Channel in 20:03.
Dean is perhaps best known for her world record for the fastest swim across the English Channel
in 1978 in a time of 7:40, shattering the previous record by over 1 h and 5 mins. The record stood for both men and women for until September 1995 when it was lowered to 7:17 by Chad Hundeby
, whom she coached.
She continued her long distance swimming career for another three years, winning at Windermere in England, Lake St. John, LaTugue, Lakes Memphremagog and Paspebiac in Quebec, and Atlantic City in New Jersey, setting women's world records in most of them. She was Women's World Professional Champion in 1979 accumulating 1,000 points over her next rival. Dean served as U.S. National Team Coach of Open Water Swimming from 1988 through 1991, Head Coach of U.S. teams to the 1991 Pan Pacific Championships, 1991 World Championships, 1982 and 1990 Windermere Championships, 1990 English Channel Race, 1984 and 1989 Catalina Channel Race and coach of nine solo Catalina Channel crossers.
Dean was admitted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame
in 1996.
Dean was forced to give up competition in the early 1980s, when her doctors urged her to stop all exercise as years of swimming had taken its toll on her body. Her enthusiasm for swimming carried on in her books and personal willingness to share her training methodologies. She has helped many other pool, open water, and marathon swimmers achieve their own personal goals. She taught as a Professor of physical education and the women’s swimming
and water polo
coach at Pomona College
for over 25 years and now resides in Ithaca, New York.
Dean was born without an anterior artery in her left arm, making her accomplishments all the more inspirational.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
long distance swimmer began her career with her swim across frigid San Francisco bay at age 10. Later, as a swimmer for Pomona College, she was a six-time All-American. By 1976, she had swum from the mainland of California to Catalina Island in the overall world record of 7:15:55 - 1.5 hours under the former record, and a record that still stands. The next year she set the world record from the island to the mainland on her way to a 50 mile double crossing of the Catalina Channel in 20:03.
Dean is perhaps best known for her world record for the fastest swim across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in 1978 in a time of 7:40, shattering the previous record by over 1 h and 5 mins. The record stood for both men and women for until September 1995 when it was lowered to 7:17 by Chad Hundeby
Chad Hundeby
Chad Hundeby is an American long distance swimmer.As a child, he was a member of the 'Blue Buoy Swim School' based in Southern California....
, whom she coached.
She continued her long distance swimming career for another three years, winning at Windermere in England, Lake St. John, LaTugue, Lakes Memphremagog and Paspebiac in Quebec, and Atlantic City in New Jersey, setting women's world records in most of them. She was Women's World Professional Champion in 1979 accumulating 1,000 points over her next rival. Dean served as U.S. National Team Coach of Open Water Swimming from 1988 through 1991, Head Coach of U.S. teams to the 1991 Pan Pacific Championships, 1991 World Championships, 1982 and 1990 Windermere Championships, 1990 English Channel Race, 1984 and 1989 Catalina Channel Race and coach of nine solo Catalina Channel crossers.
Dean was admitted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
in 1996.
Dean was forced to give up competition in the early 1980s, when her doctors urged her to stop all exercise as years of swimming had taken its toll on her body. Her enthusiasm for swimming carried on in her books and personal willingness to share her training methodologies. She has helped many other pool, open water, and marathon swimmers achieve their own personal goals. She taught as a Professor of physical education and the women’s swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
coach at Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
for over 25 years and now resides in Ithaca, New York.
Dean was born without an anterior artery in her left arm, making her accomplishments all the more inspirational.