He shaped recreation on Hilton Head, then led American swimming to new heights

Chuck Wielgus, who was the catalyst behind today’s public recreation on Hilton Head Island before leaving to become one of the most important people in American Olympic swimming, died Sunday in Colorado Springs. He was 67.

As executive director of USA Swimming for almost 20 years, club membership nationwide doubled to more than 400,000, revenues increased by 600 percent, major swimming events were televised, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for swimming grew into a major showcase event in a 17,000-seat entertainment venue, the USA Swimming Foundation was created, and there were 156 podium performances by the U.S. Olympic Swim Team in five Olympic Games, including 33 medals (16 gold) at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist, hall of fame member and network commentator Rowdy Gaines tweeted: “Along w @MichaelPhelps no one, NO ONE has done more for @USASwimming than this man.”

On Hilton Head, Charles Perry said no one did more for public recreation than Wielgus, who was executive director of the Island Recreation Association from 1983 to 1989.

“He led us through a change in direction,” said Perry, who was a founder of the association’s forerunner, the Youth Center sponsored by the Hilton Head Rotary Club.

“He said we’ve got to do more than just be a youth center, we’ve got to be a full-fledged recreation center, adding a lot more programs,” Perry said.

That meant securing land for today’s Island Recreation Center from the Beaufort County School District adjacent the high school campus, becoming the first entity to get long-term accommodations tax funding from the Town of Hilton Head Island, and building a Rec Center with storied basketball floor.

“He was the catalyst who made it all happen,” said Perry, who served several terms as the association board president. “He was a knowledgeable, compassionate, caring young man and from the word ‘go’ you could see he would do great things.”

Wielgus maintained a home on Hilton Head and visited regularly.

“He still had a huge place in his heart for Hilton Head,” said USA Swimming communications director Scott Leightman.

Leightman said Wielgus’ acumen, vision and energy extended his influence beyond swimming “to the entire Olympic movement, all sports, across all nations.”

Yet, on Hilton Head, Wielgus was known as a gym rat with a love of pick-up basketball. And he co-authored three books with writer Alexander Wolff: “The In-Your-Face Basketball Book,” “The Fan’s Book of Sport Nicknames” and the “Back-In-Your-Face Guide to Pick-Up Basketball.”

And his influence lives in his successor as Recreation Association executive director, Frank Soule, now oversees an $11 million to $12 million expansion of the center.

“He was recreation director in my hometown of Woodstock, Vt.,” Soule said. “I remember the first swim team he coached. He’s the one who turned me on to recreation.”

Wielgus had faced a recurring battle with colon cancer over the past decade, Swimming World reported, and had announced his retirement due to take effect this fall.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy, daughters Savannah and Shelby, sons Chip and Tommy, and four grandchildren.

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 4:46 PM with the headline "He shaped recreation on Hilton Head, then led American swimming to new heights."