In honor of the Santa Clara Swim Club’s 75th anniversary this year, its Head Coach Kevin Zacher and Olympic medalist and SCSC alumna Lynn Marie Vidali Gautschi were chosen to share the role of Grand Marshal in the 57th Parade of Champions on Oct. 3.

“I am honored to be a Grand Marshal of the parade,” said Zacher, who came to SCSC in 2021. “It brings attention to the long and storied tradition we have had in building great athletes and, more importantly, great people.

“This is a celebration of everyone who has been part of the organization over the past 75 years. Our reach is far … people all over the world know of SCSC and its proud history.”

Founded in 1951 by International Swimming Hall of Fame coach George F. Haines, after whom the SC International Swim Center was renamed in 2001, SCSC became renowned for producing Olympic swimmers. It dubs itself “The Bay’s Winningest,” touting 48 national swim titles and 80 Olympians winning 71 medals, including gold.

By some claims, the Santa Clara Swim Club has produced more International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) honoree swimmers than any other swimming club in the world—16, from Don Schollander in 1965 to Dara Torres in 2016, plus coaches Haines in 1981 and Dick Jochums in 2017.

Riding alongside Coach Zacher in the lead car of the Parade of Champions, Lynn Marie Vidali Gautschi, a resident of Morgan Hill, swam with SCSC from 1966 to 1972. She won a silver Olympic medal for the 400m Individual Medley in 1968 and bronze in the 200m Individual Medley in 1972.

“Being a member of SCSC changed the entire trajectory of my life,” said Gautschi. “Coming to train with the best athletes and to this day the best swim coach to ever do it, George Haines, made me become one of the top swimmers in the world at the ripe age of 16 years old.” 

The blue and gold SCSC lead float, professionally made this year, was built to carry some 20 people, such as Olympic gold medalists Lillian “Pokey” Watson Richardson (1964 and 1968) and Chris von Saltza Olmstead (three gold and one silver in 1960). Both are ISHOF honorees.

NBC Bay Area’s “All Bay All Day” float will also honor Bay Area Olympians and champions. SCSC Olympic swimmer Anne Warner Cribbs was invited to be aboard that float. She won Olympic gold in 1960 and was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

After the parade, SCSC planned a celebration for its members, alumni, and the community, held at Buchser Middle School, home of the original SC High School—where SCSC started out. Planned activities: music, food trucks, a pop-up museum with photos and videos, kids’ activities, free cake, and a short ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary.

“This is a particularly meaningful Grand Marshal story because the 2026 57th Santa Clara Parade of Champions Festival and the Santa Clara Swim Club are both celebrating major milestones,” said Ana Vargas-Smith, SC Parade of Champions president.

“This year’s parade gives Santa Clara a Legacy Platform to celebrate 75 years of the Santa Clara Swim Club and the generations of athletes, coaches and families who helped put Santa Clara on the international map,” said Vargas-Smith.

“It is a pretty extraordinary piece of our city’s history. I am in awe, actually.”