Meet The Team
Bill Goding
Bill is known as the Godfather of Hawai’i channel swimming. He is also a founding member of the Ala Moana Beach Swim Club and has been inducted into the Hawai'i Swimming Hall of Fame as a Channel Swimmer. The end.
Stefan Reinke
Stefan has 50+ years’ experience as a swimmer including 39 years’ experience as a Hawaii open water/ocean swimmer. He has participated in numerous open water ocean swim races and fresh water races lake/river (distances from 1 mile to 36 miles) and over 17 Hawai'i interisland channel crossing swims, including the Kaʻiwi Channel. Stefan has helped organize and direct the Double Rough Water (2016 – 2019) and the Waikiki Roughwater (2020-present). In 2021 he was inducted into the Hawai'i Swimming Hall of Fame as a Channel Swimmer.
Ryan Leong
Ryan is a founding member of the Ala Moana Beach Swim Club, a hard core social group with an even worse swimming problem. As a result of poor decision making skills and peer-pressure, he is also an experienced endurance athlete, with a passion for open water swimming. Ryan has completed multiple 30k+ ocean swims including the Ka’iwi and Kaulakahi (Kauai to Ni’ihau) Channels, the AMBSC Summer Solstice Swim, Na Pali coast, and other shorter, but no less challenging, channels in Hawai'i. Aside from OWS, he is a lifelong coach with experience ranging from age-group swimming to the Olympics. Ryan has a known allergy to the cold and running.
Lectie Altman
Lectie is the chief female officer (CFO) of the Ala Moana Beach Swim Club (AMBSC) and has yet to actually agree to swimming a channel. A collegiate swimmer turned endurance athlete. She has been swimming since she was 7 years old and vowed after college that she was done with swimming. Enter AMBSC and their “bad” influence…she has completed 'Au’Au channel (2x), the Na Pali Coast, Kaulakahi Channel (Kauai to Ni’ihau), THE summer solstice swim, every year since it’s inaugural year of 2018 as well as many weekend adventures with the AMBSC all without ever agreeing to anything.
Chris Chuck
Chris is a California native who discovered his affinity for the water early on and continued his passion for swimming into college where he was recruited to swim for UC Santa Barbara. His first introduction to open water swimming was in the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay. Captivated by the rich aquatic life, breathtaking landscapes and warm waters in Hawai'i while visiting frequently, he decided to make the islands his home. Since relocating, he has been inspired by others in the Ala Moana Beach Swim Club to explore outside the confines of the swimming pool - swimming the Pailolo Channel, 'Au'Au Channel and the Na Pali coastline. Chris has goals of more adventure and channel swims in the future. He has recreational/masters coaching experience and also loves marine biology/underwater videography.
Terrie Dietz
Terri is no stranger to challenges. She spent 18 years competing in Aerobic Gymnastics. Once she retired from the sport she found other hobbies to test her limits which included Outrigger Canoe paddling and Cross Fit competition. Her world led her to discover the beauty and toughness of open ocean swimming. A new found passion. Since then, she has crossed several channels, including Ka'iwi Channel and most recently Molokini to Lanai. Her motto is "Find a Way."
Deb Merwick
Deb, a stalwart member of the AMBSC, has lived in Hawaii for 25+ years and started OWS in 2010 when she was encouraged to sign up for the North Shore Swim Series. She ended up falling in love with OWS but had never ventured beyond a 7k when, at the last minute, she offered to be an escort swimmer for a Ka’iwi Channel attempt on Halloween 2020. After starting the swim from Kepuhi Beach on Moloka’i, Deb never left the water; 56k and 22+ hours later, she became the 73rd swimmer to solo Ka’iwi. Since then, she has completed multiple marathon and channel swims including the 3-day Maui Nui Challenge ('Au’au, Kalohi, and Pailolo Channels) and the Na Pali Coast. In her spare time, Deb creates GPS swim art, dotes on her pup, Gladys, and hunts out good beer. You can follow her swim art on IG @gpsswim.
Rachel Randall
Rachel learned to swim before she could walk. Born and raised near the ocean on O‘ahu, she did her first 'Au'au channel crossing at 13 years old. From then on, the channel itch never went away even after she was well into her “swammer” years. To date, she has completed the 'Au'au Channel six times as well as the 30km Na Pali Coast trek just 2 weeks before her wedding. Despite being affectionately referred to as Team Sleep, Rachel is dedicated to her early morning ocean adventures with the Ala Moana Beach Swim Club. A couple bucket list goals include crossing Ka'iwi Channel and swimming with a whale shark.
Hudson Slay
Hudson is a founding member of the Ala Moana Beach Swim Club (AMBSC) and co-instigator of the annual AMBSC Summer Solstice Swim. Hudson has been a swimmer since the age of 7 which has evolved from mostly in the pool to mostly in the ocean. He caught the channel swimming ‘bug’ by chance with a last-minute invitation to participate on a Maui Channel Swim relay team. Since then he has completed the 'Au'au Channel (8x), Pailolo Channel (1x), Rottnest Channel Swim, and the Na Pali coast along with many exciting weekend adventure swims in his backyard on O‘ahu. Hudson also has extensive swim coaching and water safety experience
Alex Webb
Alex is a lifelong swimmer, surfer, and coach. He had taken a hiatus from swimming to focus on coaching and fatherhood. His oldest daughter at the age of 10 decided she wanted to swim the 'Au'au Channel. Alex swam the 'Au'au with his daughter and caught the Open Water Swimming bug. He has since swam the 'Au'au Channel (5X), Pailolo Channel (3X), Kalohi Channel, the Na Pali Coast, and numerous shorter challenges with and without his daughter. He found his people with the Ala Moana Beach Swim Club and takes every opportunity to swim, advance the sport, and assist those who love the ocean. Alex is a Level 5 Open Water Swimming Certified Coach.