Bill Furbish is an 11-time National Champion, and currently holds National Records in slalom, tricks & jump. He competed in 9 World Championships, set 5 World Records and is the current record holder in slalom and jump.
Bill’s been selected as IWWF Male Athlete of the Year, USA-AWSWS Male Athlete of the Year, the Phil Martin Award (awarded to an individual who has made substantial contributions to the sport of adaptive waterskiing).
Some of his other contributions are coaching/instructing at learn to ski clinics at the Shepherd Rehabilitation Center since 1989, which has in turn resulted in his coaching eight athletes to National and World competitions. He’s coached the Atlanta Disabled Water Ski Team since 1991 and organized the 2014 USA Disabled Water Ski Nationals and USA vs. World (including Canada and Australia).
Bill earned gold and bronze medals in Track & Field at the 1988 Paralympic games. He helped start the Shepherd Center’s wheelchair rugby team, which has competed nationally. Bill pioneered the Shepherd Center’s information technology department and served as director of information services in 1996 when the Paralympic Games were held in Atlanta. He was awarded the 2015 Blaze Sports Triumph of the Human Spirit Award.
He has served the USA Adaptive Water Ski & Wake Sport association as Director, President, Athlete Advisory Council Representative, and the IWSF (now IWWF) as the 1996 Disabled Council Paralympic Committee Chair.
Bill’s integrity is evidenced by his dedication to the Shepherd Rehabilitation Center which gave him a life after injury.
It is because of the above achievements that Bill Furbish is today being inducted into the IWWF International Hall of Fame.
Click this link to see the other 2021 recipients.