Like many water polo players, Fred Tisue was a top swimmer. He placed sixth at the 1956 US Olympic Trials in the 200 metre butterfly, which doubled with the 200 metre breaststroke as qualifiers for the 200 metre breaststroke, when that stroke was somewhat of a hybrid. Tisue later played water polo for Lynwood Swim Club and Southern Cal. He was a Los Angeles County lifeguard in 1960, and starred at the 1960 Olympics, as the highest scorer for all teams (tied with Romanian Aurel Zahan), scoring 12 goals in all, including five in their 10-4 victory over France.