Swimming World Editor Brent Rutemiller, ISHOF CEO has died

Former editor of Swimming World magazine and CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF). Brent Ruthmiller died after several bouts of cancer.

He died early on June 17, 2024, surrounded by his family. His daughter Shoshanna posted on the Rutemiller’s Army Facebook page this morning.

“Hi everyone, Brent passed away peacefully last night with his loving wife by his side. He contracted a lung infection over the weekend and deteriorated rapidly. We are so thankful that she was pain free and was able to visit her children and grandchildren before she passed away. He was lucid himself to the end. He will be sorely missed.”

Rutemiller, recipient of the ISHOF Lifetime Achievement Award, has battled multiple forms of cancer in remission.

It started with a 2021 diagnosis of a rare bone marrow cancer called plasma cell leukemia. He fought it into remission, but the cancer returned in 2022 and he underwent a bone marrow transplant and a stem cell booster.

He has served Swimming World Magazine in a number of roles for more than 30 years and has won several major awards over the years after a lifetime in and around the water.

Rutemiller swam at Eastern Kentucky University, but his involvement in the sport really reached a new level as a coach. He was a Level 5 certified coach by the American Swimming Coaches Association and coached teams in Indiana and Kentucky. He then coached with Mission Viejo Nadadores, Phoenix Swim Club and Scottsdale Aquatic Club, leading several swimmers to state championships and All-American honors.

Rutemiller has also made huge contributions to the Special Olympics and has coached several athletes at the games over the years.

He created Aquazoids, an animated educational series that was printed in over 150 countries, including Swimming World, where he first joined the team.

Brent Rutemiller joined Swimming World full-time in 1985 as head of advertising and continued to rise through the ranks until he was the magazine’s editor.

Since taking over at Swimming World, he has turned the product into a daily online news source in addition to the monthly print magazine. He started The Morning Swim Show, an online TV series in podcast format way ahead of its time.

USA Swimming once recognized Rutemiller as one of the 30 most influential figures in the sport, and the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association presented Brent Rutemiller with its 2023 Collegiate Award.

Even during his battle with cancer, he was in the water. He swam for himself and others, helping to raise money for cancer research with Swim Across America, along with his supporters, nicknamed “Rutemiller’s Army.”

“I want to thank everyone for all the support over the years. Leading the International Swimming Hall of Fame and Swimming World has been a privilege as well as a responsibility that I have taken very seriously,” wrote Brent Rutemiller when he retired. “I believe that to truly win in life, you must first help someone else win. This is what philanthropy and running a non-profit corporation is all about. I think my inner desire to be ethical and credible has been true over the years.”

Indeed, he has led and guided Swimming World, ISHOF and the entire sport of swimming on the rise which continues to grow.