Jim Montgomery - Dallas, USA
“Now, nearly 45 years later, my mind rarely wanders to that history-making swim.” A successful life is measured by the relationships you hold dear, not by money, fame, looks or your smarts.
On July 25th 1976, when Jim Montgomery won gold in the 100-metre freestyle in the Montreal Olympics, he earned his rightful place in swimming history.
Jim swam the distance in 49.99 seconds - the first person to break the magical barrier of 50 seconds.
Being the first-ever to break this standard in swimming is a badge of honour, often compared with Roger Banister breaking the four-minute mile on the track.
While this single performance crowned Jim as one of the best ever swimmers, his achievements before and through to today, has seen Jim fully connected to swimming.
Swimmer. Teacher. Coach. Business Founder and Owner. Author.
Enjoy Jim’s story.
What are some of your earliest memories of swimming Jim?
“My mum was my first swim teacher when I was aged maybe three. We used to swim together at the Maple Bluff Country Club (Madison, Wisconsin). At the time we lived across the street from a large lake, so the option to learn swimming was non-negotiable.
“At the club, mum would slowly introduce me to the skills and fundamentals of swimming which allowed me to become water confident and competent. I can recall swimming about 10 feet to my mum before she picked me up, and carried me back to the side, doing it over and over again. We would both have such fun in the pool. Mum had long fingernails which I distinctly remember would pinch-in at times.”
Jim grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. “At about aged seven I joined a summer league swim team, before joining the local YMCA team when I was nine. Although swimming was part of my life, I played many different sports. In fact, until I was 14 I only swam formally in the winter months. Summer swimming meant hanging out at the beach, or the local pool, socialising with my neighbourhood friends.
“At 15 I switched clubs, joining the Badger Dolphin Swim Club under the guidance of coach Jack Pettinger, who remained one of my coaches until I was 20.”
In his years at Madison East High School, Jim won six state championships in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, twice each year as a sophomore, junior and senior, earning him All-American status in his senior year.
Onto Indiana University in 1973, Jim joined the swim team under legendary swim coach ‘Doc’ Counsilman, a move which would see Jim win five gold medals at the first-ever World Swimming Championships, Belgrade, in 1973, extending his multi medal winning form through the next 5 years, including the 1975 World Championships, Cali (Columbia), the 1976 Olympics, Montreal, and the 1978 World Championships in Berlin. His swimming career included 10 world records, nine world championship titles, 14 US titles as well as seven NCAA titles.
Jim graduated with Honours from the Indiana University School of Business, receiving the Belfour Award as the top student athlete in the Big Ten Conference .
A reflection on the 49.99
“After the successes at the 1973 World Champs, I took a shot at extending my event schedule to include the 400m freestyle. Being elite at the 100, 200 is one thing, adding the 400-metres requires different training loads, which in hindsight, most likely helped me break the 50-seconds barrier.
“I had aspirations to break 4 minutes for the 400m freestyle, which was broken for the first time by my USA swimming team mate, Rick Demont in 1973. When I look back, I over trained in 1974, trying to include the 400m event.
“My results in ‘75, were below where I had previously been, convincing me to back away from the idea of chasing the 400m event. Chances are without this dip in performance, I wouldn't have become Olympic champion in ‘76. Once I refocused, I was stronger and handled the necessary power training for the 100m free much better.
“My 100m swim was on the last day of the eighth-day swim schedule, which did take the edge off my performance slightly. I thought realistically I could swim 49.4 or 49.5. I classified myself as a mental swimmer and believe concentration and goal setting makes a difference. I knew I could break the 50. I had swum relay splits earlier in the meet under 50, and back then the relay starts and change overs were not as slick as they are now.
“In Montreal we had the most successful swim team ever. We had a winning attitude and incredible support for each other. I look back at the whole Olympic experience, not just the one race. I was very excited watching the other sports and other athletes.
“Now, nearly 45 years later, my mind rarely wanders to that history-making swim.”
Two coaches, both like second fathers
“At age 14 I made the decision to drop all my other sports and dedicate myself to swimming only. It was at this time the University of Wisconsin hired a new men's Head Coach, Jack Pettinger. Jack was the one that really developed me into a world class swimmer from the age of 14 to 18 years old. We had a great young squad of swimmers and Jack was the one to instill the discipline and work ethic in me. I just didn’t want to have good practices everyday, but great practices. He was an ex-marine no nonsense type of coach that cared deeply for his swimmers, a passionate humble man that taught me what it meant to be humble.
“Doc Counsilman had the most brain power of any human being I have ever known, even to this day. Anyone who knew Doc was aware of his awesome contributions to swimming. but I was privileged to know Doc as a genius on how he related to me and all his swimmers on a personal caring basis. He had a great sense of humor and taught me many lessons on how to have success in the pool as well as out. “Both Jack and Doc were like second fathers to me.”
Jack and Jim
Doc (squatting) with his wife Marge, Jay Hersey, Bill Heiss and Jim
Masters Swimming and Coaching
“After retiring from elite swimming and competition, I decided I wanted to make swimming fun again, but without the pressure of intense training and competition. I had two assets to draw from: I had a business degree from Indiana University and I liked to teach/coach. So I decided to start my own Masters swim program. That was October 1982 and at my first organized practice I had seven terrified adults wondering what they had gotten themselves into with this Olympian. What started out as a hobby quickly grew into a club of over 400 masters swimmers in less than 5 years. Then I had to decide whether I was going to make this a lifelong career. Two years later Baylor Health Care System asked me to join them in building a sports medicine and fitness center with an aquatic center close to downtown Dallas, Texas. The Baylor Aquatic Center doors opened in 1991, a dream come true!
“I started taking a squad of my Masters swimmers to Hawaii to swim the Maui channel relay race in 1983. I love Hawaii. What better place to experience open water swimming than the waters of Hawaii. I kept taking a team back every year and by the mid 90s was hooked into swimming open water events around the world. It’s so different from early youth pool competitions, especially the older you get. My goal is to swim open water for the rest of my life. May I add I have taken several groups of my Masters swimmers to train at Bondi Beach and love Australia!”
Jim, and many of the swimmers he coaches are regular entrants in events such as the Maui Channel Swim (Hawaii), the La Jolla Roughwater (1 or 3miles, San Diego) the Waikiki Roughwater (2.5miles. Hawaii), the Alcaraz (2miles, San Francisco) and the Chesapeake Bay swim (4.4 miles, Marylands)
The Jim Montgomery Swim School
“Swimming has earned me a fantastic business career. Today I am fortunate to work alongside one of my daughters everyday.
“In 2015 I founded the Jim Montgomery Swim School in Dallas Texas. I love teaching and coaching swimming. It gives me such an opportunity to make a positive impact on many people's lives.
“My daughter Ellis and our highly engaged team of teachers and I, work with children as young as six-months through to adults who are learning to swim or developing their swimming later in life.
“My wife Diane and daughter Ellis had begged me for years to start a swim school for kids. The opportunity came when a local fitness club went out of business and left the landlord with two indoor pools perfect for teaching swimming. My swim school is all about high energy, positive reinforcement, fun, and a safe environment. Our three core values are: All things with kindness, excellent thrives in the details and small steps lead to great accomplishments.”
Jim as author - can you share a little about what inspired you to write this book?
“ I just reached a point in my swimming career where a book made sense on everything I had learned about coaching adult swimmers. I was also inspired by Doc Counsilman and all the books and articles he published around swimming. It was a natural fit”
Mastering Swimming - co-written with Mo Chambers
Travel and swimming are a perfect mix
“Travel allows me to meet up with people of my past, and find new people in my future. I have stayed connected with many of the people I have met during my swimming life.
“Swimming through the Greek Islands was great. The Caribbean has the best underwater visibility, and the Hawaiian waters are terrific.”
“I recall my solo 10 mile Maui Channel swim when I was 40. It was the longest swim that I had undertaken. I was in great shape and the weather and ocean conditions were perfect. When I finished, it felt like I could turn around and swim back. It’s days like that you remember fondly.
“Another terrific swim was in the waters south of Perth (Australia). It was only a fun swim but the most beautiful, crystal clear, perfect temperature water I have ever swum in.
“I have a bucket list of rivers and oceans which I want to swim in. I love to travel, and swimming at these destinations is something which I truly enjoy. The Philippine Islands. The lakes in southern Germany and Barbados are three which are close to mind at the moment”
If a visitor visited Texas, where would you recommend they swim?
“My favourite swimming Texas hole is Deep Eddy in Austin. This hole is spring fed year round and always a consistent 68 degrees fahrenheit.
“My favourite public pool, prior to being demolished, was the Southern Methodist University outdoor 50 meter pool - replaced by an indoor one. If I would pick one pool it would be the pool I was responsible for building at the Baylor Aquatic center which is a private club. It’s a 9 lane 25 meter course just east of downtown Dallas.”
A couple of technique or training tips to help us swim easier Jim?
“When teaching swimming I focus on three areas:
“The first is getting your breathing down. So many beginners don’t know how to breathe and if you don’t have comfort and control over your breathing, teaching technique becomes very difficult if not impossible.
“The second is the body position or streamlining. Reducing drag or resistance is key to faster swimming.
“And third and the hardest to learn is working on propulsion. The catch or high elbow position at the beginning of the pull phase of the stroke is the most important ingredient to generating power and speed.”
What swimming and fitness do you do now Jim, in 2020?
“I swim in my local fitness club's 25-metre pool. Twice per week, usually 2500 metre per time.
“My laps are moderate aerobic swim and pull, often a series of 100m and 200m repeats.
“These swims set me up for my day. I feel energized, mentally sharp and confident.
“The two swims plus the two cycling sessions I aim for each week suits me perfectly.
“Swimming is all about my fitness, my stress reliever and for social reasons. It’s about slowing down and enjoying the ride.
“I have lost my competitiveness in the pool, but I have a deep appreciation of swimming in open water.
“As I also enjoy cycling, and I see myself swimming and cycling through parts of Europe and beyond, when the COVID pandemic allows.”
The importance of family
"My family are very important to me. I am blessed to have four of five of my grown kids living within a 20 minutes drive. Which translates into one, two, sometimes three of our grandchildren staying a Saturday evening and most of Sunday at our home just about every weekend.
“Once every two years we invite the entire family to spend a week together either in the Colorado mountains or on the beach in Florida."
Wow, you have achieved and done so much Jim, what are your fondest memories?
“I worked hard, and I have been so fortunate. Montreal in ‘76 of course. The lifelong friends that I have made through swimming. The travel experiences I have had.
“The years I spent with coach Jack Pettinger in Madison aged 14-20 are very important years for me. And of course being part of the UI team and swimming in the ‘Doc’ Counsilman years.”
Jim, thank you . . . share with us an ending message
“A successful life is measured by the relationships you hold dear, not by money, fame, looks or your smarts. There is so much beauty in the world, places to visit and people to meet. The greatest asset you have is your health”
Summary of Jims world and Olympic results
1973 World Championships: Gold 100m and 200m freestyle plus three golds in relays for USA
1975 World Championships: Bronze 100m freestyle plus two golds in relays for USA
1976 Olympics Games: Gold 100m freestyle. Bronze 200m freestyle plus two golds in relays for USA
1978 World Championships: Silver 100m freestyle plus two golds in relays for USA
1986 Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
14 World Masters titles - between mid 1980’s and early 1990’s
See Jim in action
Jim in flight