Your Favorite Stories From Around the Pool
Have a funny, motivating, or entertaining story to share? Send it it and share it with the rest of the About Swimming community.
Here's a few examples:
| Sophomore Year in high school my only goal was to go to high
school state in the 200 IM. At sectionals, I was in lane 7 and there was an
official standing right over my lane at the far side of the pool. I had a good
start, and my pace was good. At the 25, I turned, did 8 kicks on my back,
realized it was a 200 IM (oops), quickly turned over and started doing fly
again, and went on to finish my race with a personal best (at the time). Somehow
the official standing at the end of my lane didn't notice that my second 25 of
fly began with 8 dolphin kicks on my BACK. I was lucky. However, at my first high school meet ever I was not so fortunate. We had our dual meet against Fond Du Lac and I won my first event, the 200 IM, by over an 8-second lead. I was about to climb out of the pool and said "Now here's the hard part: getting out." The official walked up to me and said, "Here's the really hard part: You're disqualified." At that precise moment I learned once and for all that the WIAA does not allow people to wear watches when they swim. So I DQ'ed my first high school event ever. |
| It is finally safe go to back into the water at the University
of Minnesota Aquatics Center. The 1999 NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and
Diving Championships have concluded, and Denison junior Aaron Cole (Pasadena,
Texas; Sam Rayburn) has returned to Granville, Ohio, and can do no more damage,
for now.
Throughout the entire three days of the NCAA meet (March 18-20), however, Cole unleashed a fury that seemed to shatter some sort of record every time he entered the water. From the first event to the last, it was this persistent pursuit of personal, school and national records that earned Cole the singular honor as the 1999 NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year. The choice was a simple one, really. Cole broke old national marks in six events, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in three events, took home two individual gold medals, and contributed to four of Denison's five top-three relay finishes during the competition. What could be more impressive? This could. As of December, Cole was penciled in as a doubtful qualifier for this year's national championships. Last October, he suffered a severe elbow injury playing ultimate frisbee and subsequently underwent complex reconstructive surgery which removed part of a tendon from his left leg and placed it in his elbow. The prognosis: "He might be back in 2000." Cole's Y2K bug couldn't wait, and through intense rehabilitation therapy, he returned to competition in January, earned conference Swimmer of the Year honors in February, and made history at the NCAA meet in March. Cole's doctors, trainers and coaches can now safely assume that his recovery is complete. |
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