2020 KEYNOTE SPEAKER DAVE DENNISTON
Dave Denniston begins his third season as the head coach of the Wyoming Swimming and Diving program. He was announced as the new head coach of the program on April 21, 2017. Prior to that, Denniston spent two seasons as an assistant coach with Wyoming. He came to UW after coaching the U.S. Paralympics swim team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs since 2010. Since that time, he has coached multiple All-Mountain West swimmers, Mountain West swimmers of the week, Mountain West divers of the week, and First or Second Team All-Conference for both individuals team members and relay teams, as well as a NCAA Tournament qualifier and Honorable Mention All-American. In 2018, the team claimed the 2018 Western Atlantic Conference Championship; it was the school's first conference title since the 1959 season. For his efforts, Denniston would take home WAC Coach of the Year honors in just his first season.
In 2005, Denniston was injured in a sledding accident and then went on to qualify for the 2008 Paralympic games. Denniston started a motivational speaking company called Mind Over Body. It was created to help people reach their goals despite barriers in life. He has also spent time as an Assistant Editor for Swimming World Magazine. He was awarded the NCAA Inspiration award in 2007, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Inspiration award in 2009 and James R. Flowers Coach of the Year award in 2012 while coach of the U.S. Paralympic team.
Denniston was a member of the Auburn University swim program from 1997-2002. A two-time team captain at Auburn, he was a three-time individual NCAA champion, including the 1999 national title in the 200-meter breaststroke. Denniston was a 15-time All-American and also helped lead the Tigers to the 1999 NCAA Team Championship.
He competed in the 2000 Olympic Trials in the 100 and 200-meters, where he finished sixth and ninth, respectively. In 2003, he qualified for the World Championship Team in the 200-meter breaststroke before he primarily focused on qualifying for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. He finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke and fifth in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Olympic Trials.
Denniston is a 2002 graduate of Auburn where he earned a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in English.
A LONG TRADITION OF PRAYER BREAKFASTS
The origin of the National Prayer Breakfast is traced back to prayer groups with business and civic leaders in Seattle, organized by Abraham Vereide in the 1930s. Today, the National Prayer Breakfast is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., usually on the first Thursday in February. The event—which is actually a series of meetings, luncheons, and dinners—has taken place since 1953. It is attended by some 3,500 guests and hosted by members of the United States Congress. Since the inception of the National Prayer Breakfast, several U.S. states and cities and other countries have established their own annual prayer breakfast events. Wyoming's Governor's Prayer Breakfast is entering its seventh decade.
