The NELMSC is pleased to present Ed Gendreau of Great Bay Masters (GBM) with the Distinguished Service Award for 2020. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding long-term service to NELMSC based on leadership, membership recruitment, program development, and promotion of Masters Swimming at the club, NELMSC, and national levels.

As the head coach of Great Bay Masters from 1993 to 2010, Ed was the driving force behind the team’s growth and transition from workout group to fully-fledged club. In 1997, Ed initiated the New England SCM championship meet, serving as Meet Director until 2005. Over the years Ed directed numerous mini meets, served as a delegate to the USMS Annual Meeting, contributed articles to the newsletter, and submitted USMS legislation proposals.

Ed is perhaps most widely known for his age-rating system and time tabulations website, which provides information and inspiration to thousands of swimmers annually. Ed and his website are known at the national and world level; anyone can use it to calculate age ratings for their swims. He also keeps the website up to date with all NELMSC members’ results to produce NELMSC records, top performers lists, graphs of individuals’ performance over time, and more.

Now, Ed continues to swim himself, both in the pool and open water. He is an ambassador for the sport at every level, whether offering an encouraging word to adult learn-to-swim students or helping fellow lap swimmers with technique or lap swimming etiquette. For his contributions to Masters swimming in New England, Ed was inducted into the New England LMSC Hall of Fame in 2020.

Thank you, Ed, for all you do!

Here’s what a few of Ed’s teammates have to say about him:

• “To be honest, I feel that Ed has contributed more than I can summarize, as I am someone relatively new to the realm of USMS by comparison. However, for the sheer quantity of people he positively impacts, and for founding the club that has helped me find the people and place I wish to spend my life with, I wholeheartedly nominate Ed for the Distinguished Service Award.”

• “Ed Gendreau was my first Masters swimming coach and the first coach I had after seven years of 'retirement' after college. I arrived to my first Masters practice and Ed greeted me with a smile and a warm welcome as he was preparing 6 lanes of diverse workouts and challenging sets and intervals accordingly. He guided me to a lane and as I finished warm-up and the first set he gave me the best advice I've ever received in Masters swimming. He said, "Take some breaks. Don't do every single lap in this practice, even though you think you can, even though I know you can. Take a few reps off here and there. Rest more than you think you have to.” He saw my quizzical look and continued, "We want you to want to come back to the next practice and if you try to do it all today, [especially after such a long break from swimming,] you won't likely want to come back." That was and still is the reason why I am still a Masters swimmer today, 20 years later. Thank you, Ed, for the gift of insight and the power of choice.”

• "Since settling in the seacoast in 2008, I'm privileged to have had Ed as a teammate, training partner and friend. An exceptionally versatile swimmer, he trains with intensity and rigor. Don't let his calm and modest demeanor fool you, he brings a quiet focus and fire to his swimming. As his teammate I'm inspired to train and compete at my best and, oh boy, I love being on relays with him. His love of swimming and competing has been the foundation for his many decades of involvement in USMS, and he has given back so much as a coach, team leader and manager and wider contributor to the LMSC including his excellent database and analysis of swim times and results for the LMSC. I'm thrilled that he is being recognized for his distinguished service."