When you were a kid, who was the person(s) you looked up to as the swimmer you wished you were. Or, who do you see as an older person you respect, swimmingly, right now?
I have a couple: Bill Yorzyck, Bob Proebsting, Wally Dobler.
Before I was a flyer, I can remember poring over swim magazines and loving to read about Lance Larson, Murray Rose, George Breen........
You got any ????
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Parents
Former Member
The swimmer I most looked up to was female. Really! Yes there was a bit of adolescent crush involved, but Elaine Tanner was an amazing swimmer & why she caught my attention (besides being Canadian & breaking world records) was that at swim meets when I was an age-grouper most of the guys in her age-group (one up from mine) were afraid to swim in the same event as her for fear of getting creamed.
Another was Ralph Hutton, 'Canada's Iron Man' who was one of many amazing swimmers from Ocean Falls B.C.- I met him years later as both as a masters swimmer & as a police officer on the same force as I was (now I sell books). I learned from personal observation & from his old cronies that Ralph posted most of best performances while 'slightly under the weather' & had been quite notorious during his college years in the States. While at Stanford Short Course Nats in the late 80's I spotted George Haines, went over to him and told him that Ralph Hutton had asked to pass on his regards if I should see him. George's face creased in a genuine smile of fond remembrance & asked what Ralph was doing for a living. Oh, he's a Vancouver City Police Officer replied I.
Well, I thought I was going to get oxygen for George- he laughed so hard & so long that tears were trickling down his face.
Despite or probably partly because of all this, Ralph remains one of my idols & icons, both because of his amazing swimming both open & masters, but also for showing his human face to the rest of us less remarkable swimmers.
The swimmer I most looked up to was female. Really! Yes there was a bit of adolescent crush involved, but Elaine Tanner was an amazing swimmer & why she caught my attention (besides being Canadian & breaking world records) was that at swim meets when I was an age-grouper most of the guys in her age-group (one up from mine) were afraid to swim in the same event as her for fear of getting creamed.
Another was Ralph Hutton, 'Canada's Iron Man' who was one of many amazing swimmers from Ocean Falls B.C.- I met him years later as both as a masters swimmer & as a police officer on the same force as I was (now I sell books). I learned from personal observation & from his old cronies that Ralph posted most of best performances while 'slightly under the weather' & had been quite notorious during his college years in the States. While at Stanford Short Course Nats in the late 80's I spotted George Haines, went over to him and told him that Ralph Hutton had asked to pass on his regards if I should see him. George's face creased in a genuine smile of fond remembrance & asked what Ralph was doing for a living. Oh, he's a Vancouver City Police Officer replied I.
Well, I thought I was going to get oxygen for George- he laughed so hard & so long that tears were trickling down his face.
Despite or probably partly because of all this, Ralph remains one of my idols & icons, both because of his amazing swimming both open & masters, but also for showing his human face to the rest of us less remarkable swimmers.
