Four years after their first club outing, fourteen Stingray Swim Club members drove to Zion to purchase much needed aquatic equipment but mainly to visit their swim idol, Adolph Kiefer. The 96 year old owner of Kieferâs, an aquatic suppliesâ giant located in Zion and Glenview, is also himself an owner of 24 records established in his youth while swimming the 100 yard Backstroke. A Chicago native, he was the first man to break the one minute mark in the 100 yard Backstroke. In fact, Mr. Kiefer represented America in the 1936 Summer Olympics, where he won first place in the 100 meter Backstroke.
14 Stingray Swim Club members visit their swim idol Adolph Keifer (center)in Zion. (Photo provided)
The following is a summarization of important details from Adolph Kieferâs life, noted in my May 16, 2010 similarly titled Sun Day article.
âIn 1943, Mr. Kiefer was asked to audition for the role of Tarzan in the movie of the same name, but he instead opted to help his countryâs war effort in World War II. Adolph enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a chief petty officer, becoming a 1st lieutenant by warâs end. At that time, the Navy was losing more lives to drowning than to enemy bullets. Adolph performed an invaluable service to âUncle Samâ by training 1600 Naval instructors, who in turn taught 33,000 Navy men how to swim.
âOnce having observed the superiority of life vests on a captured German war ship, Mr. Kiefer decided to design new vests [pbcs] of materials which would promote a better survival rate at sea. In 1946, Adolph Kiefer began designing water supplies with his new company – Adolph Kiefer & Associates in Chicago. Throughout his life, he amassed 14 patents. One patent, which can be found in competitive swimming pools around the world, is known as racing flotation lines. They are more commonly referred to as lane lines and are found here at both Prairie Lodgeâs indoor pool and Meadowviewâs outdoor pool. Lane lines allow the swimmer to utilize his own training space, and the lines also reduce the waterâs turbulence upon the swimmerâs body. In 1948, Kieferâs company was responsible for the first nylon tank suit, a marked improvement over the wool and cotton suits available at the time. More recently, Adolph has worked with [pool] companies to perfect the use of more safe and efficient pool chemicals for public, as well as private swimming pools. For the past two years, his researchers have been busy perfecting their design for a competitive light-weight swimmerâs body suit.
âKiefer has subsequently devoted himself to community service, combining swimming and philanthropy in extremely innovative ways. He and his wife of 73 years were responsible for the swim training of three future Olympians when the swimmers were novices on the New Trier Swim Team. In the 1960s, he worked with Mayor Richard J. Daly to build swimming pools across the inner city of Chicago, providing the facilities needed for thousands of children to learn to swim. Kiefer has continued in such a mindset even today. An International Swimming Hall of Fame honoree and, at 96 years old, the only living 1936 U.S. Swimming Gold Medalist Olympian, Adolph and Joyce, his 94-year-old wife, swim and report to work daily.â
In 2010 and again in 2014, our swim legend sent us out of his store with the same command: âThere are over 1 million drownings in the world yearly. Be on a lifelong mission as I have been. Promote safe swimming among others. Teach the world to swim.â
Following Adolph Kieferâs directive, the Stingray Swim Club did just that here in Sun City this past spring and summer. On Wednesdays in April and July of 2014, those Sun Citians who came to us in our clinics at P. L.âs indoor pool were taught the basics of swimming. Helping seniors to enjoy a fabulous sport that can be done throughout their 80s and 90s is our goal. Yes, the Stingrays are on a mission to teach our community to swim!
