This weekend was our Pacific Masters Championships. It was a close battle between WCM and USF and I don't know who won at this very moment. I don't care.
You see, I left right before the 1000 today (the last event) right after the last relays. I watched some great swims today. Amazing swims. My friend Brendon swam a 2:03 200 fly and really hit his taper (as he's not going to Nationals)- we were teasing about how he does really well the week after a tapered meet. He seemed to finally figure it out this time.
My friend Stephen called me tonight and told me that Brendon also had a great 1000, was warming down, had a heart attack and died. He was 35. I was stunned. I've been crying since then trying to make sense of it all. It doesn't make sense.
I called some other friends and no one else can believe it either. Suddenly, the meet doesn't matter, swimming doesn't matter, what matters is that we lost a really great guy today. He was always so happy, funny, and loved to tell jokes. He was really good natured and fun to be around. I will miss him terribly.
Former Member
Like rock star heaven.....only it's swimmer's heaven....
where all of the state of the art full body suites are always 2/3 off....and you can always find the perfect size...
I LOVE that idea! I also sometimes find myself wondering how fast I would have to swim in order to be able to make a career out of it ... then I realize that isn't going to happen. But oh well!
I think swimmers are a different bread of athletes in many ways. All athletes are masochistic to some degree but I think swimmers take the cake, also they happen to be the nicest group of people I know!
Props to the swim community for being so cool.
Karen- I think we all have been staggered by your news- just know that we all care deeply about you and your fellow swimmers from the meet & of course his family and friends and wish for a better world free from such losses. I am so impressed by the swimming community as reflected here.
Peter Cruise
Yes, it is nice to dream....and I did swim 7 Top Ten times a few years ago..and 1 FINA Top Ten (with an artif right hip and Hep C)....but swimming...er....even holding onto Mc Connica's goggles is nothing short of a DREAM...er.....deludid thinking....
For me, even in a boat....Keeping up with that guy...is akin to whizing in the ocean to raise the tide....:)
This weekend I was listening to a Jimmy Buffett tune that I heard again for the 1000th time. One line was sticking with me (more now at age 40 than when I was 20): "Let the winds of time roll over my head, I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead." It accompanied me through a long workout this morning at 5:30 am. Now it's with me again as I read your message.
I'm truly sorry to hear of your friend's passing. My prayers are with him and his family and all of his friends. God bless.
A swim community.
I travelled on the pro swim circuit from July until October, for eight years. We usually ate , swam together and had fantastic conversations in a word and sign laguage. We where from different countries, Egypt, Holland, Italy, Danes, Lebanon, USA, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, you name it. We were friends but in the water we were copetitors. It was great but it was surely better to get home to our family.
