Laura Dennison: 2022 Appreciation Award

Para-athlete Laura Dennison joined USMS and the New England LMSC in 2013 and quickly set about making Masters Swimming more inclusive and welcoming to athletes of all abilities. In 2014, she joined the NELMSC Board of Directors, becoming the first LMSC Para-Athlete Chair within all of U.S. Masters Swimming. 

Since joining the board, Dennison has worked to increase the visibility of para-athletes among coaches and members alike by organizing para-coaching clinics in conjunction with Adaptive Sports New England’s Paralympic Sport Club. 

In 2020, Dennison continued that work by becoming the founding member of the NELMSC Diversity & Inclusion Subcommittee, which ran a survey of NELMSC coaches to determine what resources are most needed to help them better serve para-athletes in the future. She also advocates for para-division and exhibition race options for upcoming NELMSC championship meets to further increase para-visibility.

An accomplished para-swimmer, Dennison has generously shared her own journey and experiences in the sport. She qualified for and competed at the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Trials in the 50, 100, and 400 freestyle, the 100 backstroke, and the 100 breaststroke. In 2021, she presented a TEDx Talk at Western New England University titled “No Kick, No Prob: Becoming You in a World That Says Otherwise.”  

Dennison, who works at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, regularly shares information and resources related to para-swimming including meets, coaching clinics, panels, and discussions hosted by USMS and other organizations. 

Born in Senegal with cerebral palsy limiting the use of her lower limbs and causing spasticity in her hands, Dennison lived in Niger until she was 4 and needed major surgery. This led her to Boston Children’s Hospital where she underwent a series of interventions over the next year. Dennison later moved to Vermont, and after graduating from high school, she enrolled in Western New England College. She went on to complete a Masters in special education at the University of Alabama. While in Alabama, Dennison met six-time Paralympian Aimee Bruder, who encouraged her to try competitive swimming, and the rest is history. 

Friend and teammate Jennifer Downing says that Dennison is “a terrific advocate and champion of DEIB efforts and takes great pride in educating coaches and other swimmers about para resources and training modifications. It's been inspiring to watch her progression since she joined the team, and she definitely exemplifies perseverance and hard work. We're lucky to have Laura as a role model and active member of the NELMSC community.”

For her part, Dennison says her aim is to make sports better for people like her and particularly for people who didn’t find swimming until later. “Sports is a powerful tool to change perceptions. I may not be the fastest in the water (I sure try) but this can be my contribution to swimming and the larger Paralympic movement,” she told Joe Walsh of Adaptive Sports New England in October 2020. 

Michael Hurd: 2022 Appreciation Award

A gifted communicator, Michael “Mike” Hurd of Maine Masters has contributed to the ongoing business of the NELMSC Board in many ways. As Secretary, his most tangible and lasting contribution has been all of the extensive documentation of meeting minutes he’s created that tell the story of the club and its business. 

He’s also contributed blog posts, meet recaps and photos, and other materials to the LMSC website to help keep members informed and engaged. At the club level, Hurd has served as an Officer of Maine Masters, contributing in various roles. Most notably, he served as editor of the club newsletter reporting on and promoting the activities of Maine Masters and the LMSC.

Ever the encourager, Hurd is a life and business coach by day, and he brings that positive energy and focus on helping others become their best selves to every interaction he has with other swimmers. He encourages others to participate in meets and events and shares what’s worked best for him as he’s grappled with several health challenges over the years. 

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurd was especially instrumental in helping club members keep their connections with each other, despite the challenges the virus posed. He supported members in navigating alternative communication methods and created workgroups and online access so that meetings could continue safely. He did all of this in an effort to keep the sport of swimming thriving for members even when so many pools were closed.  

This was no small task as we all adjusted to COVID-era restrictions and isolation. With endless patience and compassion, Hurd effectively guided users – some with little to no experience and some with ample technology experience – in getting set up to conduct online meetings. The technology isn’t always intuitive, but Hurd’s ability to support others is, and he made sure everyone knew how to participate in the online meetings to have their voices heard, which he then recorded in his meticulous minutes.

A consummate coach, Hurd has an innate ability to provide the space others need to absorb dialogue and feel comfortable in a conversation. He also encourages everyone to develop the confidence to share their opinions and experiences in large and small group settings. He offers an inviting space for others to be heard, seen, and valued.

Hurd also served as a representative of the LMSC as a delegate to USMS Conventions and as a Board Member, Officer, and an active member of the Maine Masters Workout Group encouraging participation and a spirit of camaraderie everywhere he goes. 

Hurd has been a tremendous asset to his club, the NELMSC, and the whole sport of Masters Swimming. His efforts to cultivate a sense of community through transparency and inclusivity have consistently made Masters Swimming in Maine and across New England a brighter thing. 

Chris Landry: 2023 Appreciation Award

As team coordinator for the Nashua workout group of the Granite State Penguins, Chris Landry knows his way around a team and a pool deck. Landry, who helped found the GPS workout group at the Nashua Boys and Girls Club more than 20 years ago, has been instrumental in keeping the team running ever since. With steadfast dedication, Landry provides affordable access to Masters Swimming in Nashua.

The laundry list of tasks Landry cheerfully completes to keep the group in fine fettle is nearly endless: 

• He handles all of the financial and membership logistics to keep the group in good stead at the Boys and Girls Club. 

• He fields new swimmer inquiries and manages team communications regarding pool closures and inclement weather.

• He coordinates 1-Hour swim events in January, including securing pool time, arranging counters, and sending results to USMS.

• He raised money for new starting blocks and installed them himself! 

• He fixes the lane lines and arrives early before each practice to put them in. He stays after each workout to tidy and lock up the facility. 

• After a long COVID-19 closure, Landry worked closely with the administration at the Boys and Girls Club to develop safe back-to-swimming protocols for the team. 

• He writes workouts and pulls guard duty when there’s no other coach available. He’s also developed an online sign-up system to share that duty across members to fulfill the group’s requirement to have a guard on deck during each workout. 

• He organizes the GSP annual holiday breakfast.

• Most importantly, he’s a positive, consistent presence at workouts and a staple of Lane 3. 

Landry does all of this quietly, without seeking the spotlight. While he may not be well known outside of the GSP workout group, he’s absolutely critical to the program’s survival. Quite simply, without Landry, there would be no GSP workout group in Nashua and hundreds of swimmers who have been able to swim and train would have missed out, including all-star swimmers like Beth Estel Hillman. 

Although Chris doesn't typically compete, he enjoys a good workout and worked hard to make the cutoff times for the Masters World Championship in Montreal in 2014. His commitment, drive, and determination encouraged other GSP swimmers to attend that and many other high-level competitions; he consistently pushes his teammates to become the best swimmers they can be. 

One teammate notes that “Chris is supportive of every swimmer he sees at practice. He creates a positive environment and makes everyone feel welcome. He basically holds the whole group together. Personally, I am thankful for all of his efforts and support to make sure we have continued access to this pool.”

Emily Mitchell: 2023 Appreciation Award

For Vermont-based artist and K-12 art educator Emily Mitchell, swimming has always been a passion. She started swimming at 9 years old and was a member of the Cumberland High School (Rhode Island) State Championship Team from 1987 to 1990. She competed for Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and qualified for New England Championships each year. 

After college, Emily continued swimming with Masters and participated in many triathlons and duathlons between 2000 and 2004. She’s completed three half-Iron distance events and was a proud finisher of Ironman Lake Placid in 2003. In that race, her 2.4-mile swim time was under 1 hour. 

Mitchell has also competed in many open water swimming events, including swimming the 5-mile length of Lake Willoughby and completing a 10K in Lake Memphremagog. She has logged multiple Top 10 achievements in Masters meets over the years.

The USMS Level 2 Coach serves as the head coach at EDGE Masters in Burlington, Vermont. She’s also a USA Swimming Coach working with age groupers at the EDGE Swim Club and is a certified Adult Learn-to-Swim instructor. 

With more than 20 years of classroom experience, Mitchell brings her attention to detail and encouraging instruction to the pool deck, making Masters workouts fun, thought-provoking, challenging, and exciting. More than just a workout coach, Mitchell has pushed many swimmers to reach beyond what they first thought they might someday be able to do. 

In April 2023, Mitchell brought a large team to the NELMSC SCY Championship held at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Among her crew was Chioyne Okwuashi, who was competing in his first ever swim meet. Okwuashi had only learned to swim two years prior, and Mitchell coached him to enter the 100 free and the 50 fly. With her enthusiastic support, Okwuashi had two successful swims and a wonderful time at his first meet. After his butterfly race, he encouraged anyone else considering learning to swim or getting into Masters to just do it. “Please start. It’s not too late,” he said.