As a little kid I looked up to the following I swam with at FMSA.
Laura Metcalf
David McCagg
If you were doing something bad you were banished to swim in these two swimmers lane and as they lapped you they would run you over (in a friendly manner, at least I think they were).
Paul Asmuth
Paul was a great distance swimmer and a great person. We were 2 of 3 swimmers that were part of the "Small Wirey guys Club" because we were so skinny. Paul had a great work ethic also.
All 3 were fast in different strokes and distances.
Each had good traits to learn from.
There was a fourth swimmer whose name escapes me that swam *** also. He was a big guy. I remember one day when we were winging kickboards, I had one sail the distance of the pool and nailed him in the forehead- thought I was a deadman ha.
He was a good sport about it and realized I had a lucky shot.
Charlie Campbell.
He showed me that you can have fun as well as being a world class swimmer. I can still remember watching him flopping around on the deck like a fish out of water at the L.A. Invitational in 1973, barking like a seal.
Gotta go with Mark Spitz...I was just starting High School swimming and He Was Amazing.....made me a lifelong swimmer even though I got tired of competeing Still try to better my own personal times though.
Mark Spitz. I placed a large poster of him with the gold medals around his neck and proceeded to swim swim swim. Went from 247 pounds at 70 inches height to 178 pounds at same height!!What do I weigh today? 178.
