Kris Rutford in 1988 before swimming the English Channel. and over the decades, he has built a reputation for meticulousness and dedication. “All of us in our firm are in awe of Kris’ swim accomplishments,” said Jan Labenz, a partner at Labenz & Associates. “Imagine having swum more miles than it would take to go around the world. Kris approaches his swimming with the same dedication, work ethic, and commitment to ever-increasing performance that he has always shown in his career as a CPA. He’s up before 5:00 a.m. and into the water each morning, then has a busy day at work, and always has time for his family. He takes it all in stride.” Rutford has also been a dedicated member of the Nebraska Society of CPAs for 41 years. Over that time, he has served on the Society’s Board of Directors and currently contributes his time and expertise as a member of the NESCPA Foundation Board of Trustees. “I am proud to be a member of the Nebraska Society,” said Rutford. “The opportunity to work with other CPAs to further the profession and share thoughts and ideas freely helped me grow as a professional.” Beyond the office walls, Rutford’s passion for swimming has propelled him into the annals of marathon swimming history. “I began swimming when I was 7 years old and the team needed a kid to complete a relay. A few years after completing my college swimming career, I challenged a friend to swim the English Channel. He did it—and of course I had to prove I could do it as well,” Rutford said. “During my training, I learned goal setting, planning, and commitment. There is no doubt that the experience carried over to my accounting career.” Rutford’s swimming accolades are as impressive as they are inspiring. He holds the designation as the “King of Manhattan Island,” completing 27 successful circumnavigation swims around Manhattan Island in New York City—more than any other man. In 1993, he won the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, a 28.5-mile circumnavigation of Manhattan Island, and had set a record the previous year with a time of 5 hours and 53 minutes. In addition, he holds the record for the fastest swim across Lake McConaughy in Nebraska—a 22-mile endeavor completed in 9 hours and 9 minutes. Perhaps most notably, Rutford has achieved the coveted “Triple Crown” of open-water swimming, which includes crossing the English Channel, completing the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, and swimming the Catalina Channel. This trifecta is a testament to a swimmer’s endurance, skill, and mental fortitude, and Rutford’s accomplishment places him among an elite group of athletes worldwide. “I was never really motivated to complete the Triple Crown until I felt like I needed a different challenge,” explained Rutford. “I did two of the three swims in August of 1988, a time when the Triple Crown had not really been ‘a thing.’ I was eventually encouraged by my peers to get it done. Sometimes you just need to be challenged,” he said. His latest chapter may be one of his most extraordinary. In May 2025, at age 65, Rutford successfully swam the Strait of Gibraltar, crossing from Spain to Morocco (Europe to Africa) in just over four hours—a feat made even more remarkable by the journey leading up to it. Just a year earlier, in January 2024, Rutford was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent surgery to have his prostate removed that March. He returned to the water by April 1, training hard for a planned Gibraltar attempt in May 2024. When high winds postponed the swim and ultimately made it impossible that year, Rutford channeled his momentum into completing another Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in August. But the challenge wasn’t over. In January 2025, he was informed of a “biochemical recurrence” The Rutford family: son Johnny and wife Camila, son Robert and wife Maggie, and Kris and wife Mary. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 27 nescpa.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==