People have tried to make it clear to you, Ion, that you will not be recognized by USMS or SWIM magazine unless you swim a lot faster. They have also tried to point out, in a nutshell, that your attitude comes across as sour grapes.
I am going to postulate that you would like to be recognized for overcoming whatever it is you have overcome. SWIM magazine doesn't have the space to do it. And they certainly don't have the manpower (interviewers and photographers) to cover every story there is to tell, especially in regard to overcoming adversity.
So, here it is. I wish everyone would take the chance to tell their stories. Think of it as a SWIM web page for sharing of personal histories.
I know Tom Ellison has an amazing story that I wish he would put here. I know of many other swimmers who have overcome tremendous adversity. I hope this thread will become an inspiration to us all, and that we will all realize, as I have lately, that: looking at the past can be painful, so don't (as long as you don't repeat it!), who knows what the future holds, so quit worrying about it, and be happy in the present because it's the only thing you really have control over.
Parents
Former Member
I don't, I swim, I have fun. I try to improve.
I was also told that I could be a woman body builder because I pack on the muscle really well. This was in my 20's. I enjoy lifting weights but not to that extent, blah. Plus, I like to eat too much! :)
I think that some people, like Ion have a hard time letting what was, be what was. The other thing is the fact that Ion does put tremendous effort into his swimming and gets beat by what he perceives as people who do not work hard. I have seen this time and time again in the age group program. So and so's kid goes to practice works their butt off, and then this other kid who barely goes, steps up on the blocks and performs. It is a fact that people have talent in varying degrees, and there is not a darn thing any of us can do about it. Yes improvement can be made through hard work and technique, but there are times that won't be enough. My advise to the parents of the hard worker who vents is to look at their kids own personal progress and improvements, not compare to others. That is my advise to Ion also.
I guess I am just surprised to see this surface at an adult level. Most people learn this early on in life.
Anyway, geek, you gotta story, or you just a fish who swims and enjoys the water like the rest of us?
I don't, I swim, I have fun. I try to improve.
I was also told that I could be a woman body builder because I pack on the muscle really well. This was in my 20's. I enjoy lifting weights but not to that extent, blah. Plus, I like to eat too much! :)
I think that some people, like Ion have a hard time letting what was, be what was. The other thing is the fact that Ion does put tremendous effort into his swimming and gets beat by what he perceives as people who do not work hard. I have seen this time and time again in the age group program. So and so's kid goes to practice works their butt off, and then this other kid who barely goes, steps up on the blocks and performs. It is a fact that people have talent in varying degrees, and there is not a darn thing any of us can do about it. Yes improvement can be made through hard work and technique, but there are times that won't be enough. My advise to the parents of the hard worker who vents is to look at their kids own personal progress and improvements, not compare to others. That is my advise to Ion also.
I guess I am just surprised to see this surface at an adult level. Most people learn this early on in life.
Anyway, geek, you gotta story, or you just a fish who swims and enjoys the water like the rest of us?
