“Far, far away from the most renowned hotbeds of open water swimming, Phil White has created an unlikely mecca of open water swimming and endurance sports in Vermont,” says Steven Munatones. “White has enabled people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to realize some of their greatest athletic accomplishments.
Phil is a dream maker with an endearing smile and a strategic, long-term vision that he has painstakingly executed day by day and mile and mile. His efforts have not only lifted up all the boats in the global open water swimming community, but will also provide future generations of swimmers from around the world a unique challenge and enjoyment of swimming in the Northeast Kingdom.”
His comments were only a tiny sampling of the comments that came in to the publication that serves the state of Vermont and the surrounding area of the Northeast Kingdom when White was chosen as the Newport Daily Express Person of the Year for 2013.
The attorney and founder of Kingdom Games and the Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association explains why he is transitioning from a stellar legal career to one of an emerging event organizer.
“I believe people should reinvent themselves every so often.”
And he finds the experience in the legal profession helped him for the uncertainty and unexpected in the open water swimming world. “Before court, I visualize all the possible scenarios and outcomes and plans for everything.” Every race director knows that drill and it is exactly what White does before each event of the Kingdom Games.
And for that reason and the overwhelmingly positive response to his events, White, whose best work comes either on the shoreline or in Lake Memphremagog, was selected as the Person of the Year in his local community.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.