U.S. Masters Swimming Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award

Recipient:	Marty Hendrick
Year:	2023
LMSC:	Florida Gold Coast

Whether Marty Hendrick was helping organize a fundraiser for an athlete to obtain equipment needed to aid in mobility or he was making sure every athlete who could not afford to pay for meet fees got the help they needed.

Perhaps his biggest accomplishment was helping Abbas Karimi, an Afghan refugee born without arms, become a swimming finalist at the 2020 Paralympic Games. Before deciding to join Swim Fort Lauderdale, Karimi interviewed Hendrick to make sure they aligned about Karimi’s goal. They chatted by video and connected immediately. Karimi explained he was looking for a coach who could travel with him and help him win. He had placed sixth in his second world championship and wanted to drop his time. Hendrick embraced Karimi, and they became buddies. At the pool, Hendrick was a coach, but at home, he was Karimi’s caregiver and friend, a common practice for athletes who show promise and who move to pursue their goals in cities where they don’t know many people. Though he had never coached an athlete without arms before, Hendrick felt confident he could properly train Karimi because he had experience adapting workouts for swimmers with mobility impairments, such as swimmers with hip replacement and shoulder surgeries. Marty helped Karimi to qualify for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Marty also helped Karimi to qualify and compete in the 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly at the 2021 USMS Long Course National Championship.