A Local Star Athlete

The Gwinnett Calendar
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John Zeigler, a Local Star Athlete

John Zeigler displaying his Six golds, 2 silver, 2 bronze medals in swimming events at the 2007 World Police & Fire Games, Adelaide, South Australia, for the 60-64 mens' division.

Snellville resident, John Zeigler, won three gold medals at the Georgia Senior Games on September 28 at Warner Robins. Representing Gwinnett County, John won the 200 yard Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, and 200 Individual Medley. The senior games, held annually, conclude the Golden Olympics program for the 2007 year. Earlier, John swam at the National Senior Games in Louisville, Kentucky, placing in 5 events in the 60-64 year old division. He swam in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 37th consecutive year, and won 4 gold medals in the Florida Police & Fire Games, and became world champion in 6 swimming events at the World Police & Fire Games in Adelaide, Australia. Since 1982, John has never lost a race in the Florida Police & Fire Games.
The Guinness World Records in London has been searching its data to determine if John has earned a world record in total years of competition in swimming for the St. Petersburg Masters Swim Championships, held every spring since 1971. This is the oldest current masters competition in the world. John's name has been proposed for inclusion in a proposed Georgia Hall of Swimming which is in the initial planning stages based on his 21 World Police championships over a 15 year period, best of any Georgia firefighter or law enforcement officer. John retired from U.S. Customs, Atlanta International Airport after working for the federal government for 41 years.
John Zeigler has been a member of St. Oliver Plunkett Parish since it was organized as a mission in 1978. John was a Eucharistic minister for 15 years and currently helps out at the Snellville Nursing Home most Wednesday mornings mass for the residents. John has swum for the Georgia Masters Swimming Team for 30 years since being transferred from Miami, Florida, to Georgia, as a Special Agent with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. John retired after his final 20 years of federal service as a Senior Inspector, U.S. Customs Service.
He swims for over an hour six times a week & has swum 3 times in masters meets at the Marist swim pool. The nexzt Marist High meet will be in late April for three days. John was All-American in the 200 meter breaststroke in 1986, set two national records in the 200 breaststroke in 1986 & 1987, made All-American on relay teams in 1998, 2000, & 2001. In 2005 he was second on the Top Ten list for masters in the 200 meter butterfly. At the 2005 Quebec City and 2007 Adelaide, Australia, World Police & Fire Games, John earned 6 golds in each of the games. John will travel to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2009, as current world games champion for the next competition.