from the PacMasters Update Email
Ross Shoemaker, RIP
1942-2007
Ross Shoemaker died suddenly at the Senior Games following one of his swims. Ross had collapsed on the deck, and was not able to be revived. It is a terrible loss - Ross was a longtime member of the San Mateo Marlins, a warm and supportive man, and a devoted swimmer with an encouraging word for everyone.
Ross coached at Chabot Junior College for many years. Services are pending.
I don't think I need to point out the frequncy with which these unfortunate events have been occuring recently. Should active swimmers be getting stress echos or something as they get older? Are simple BP and lipid screens simply not enough?
We're all going to die of something. If it can't be in my sleep, then in the pool is not so bad. You can choose not to compete, I guess, but that would be worse, wouldn't it?
Rotten. My prayers are out to Mr. Shoemaker's family and friends.
Here's a question I'm curious about. Is there even a general age range at which one should be pulling back on the throttle (effort-wise)? If you competed heavily as a youngster, and continued to do so on up to retirement age and beyond, when would you know to ease up? At what point does biological chronology start catching up with you? What signs would you look for? Just curious.
I have heard of this happening nearly every year since I started competing regularly with USMS. In 2004, a gentleman died in the warmdown pool after an 800 free at SCM Zones at Wheaton College. David Gregg of Virginia Masters died a couple months later after a race.
It is a sad situation. It sounds like these guys all loved swimming, so I say what a hell of a way to go. Just think of how swimming probably prolongued their lives, even though we believe they were cut short before their time.
May their memory live on :applaud:
Should active swimmers be getting stress echos or something as they get older? Are simple BP and lipid screens simply not enough?
Great question. The early detection of coronary artery disease remains a challenge. Risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, smoking, family history) need to be identified and managed appropriately. The routine use of stress testing in asymptomatic adults is currently not recommended. Keep in mind that most heart attacks are caused by the rupture of a previously minor plaque (which would not be detected by stress testing). While CT can detect the presence of plaque in asymptomatic individuals, it cannot identify the so-called "vulnerable" plaque which can result in a heart attack. And it may lead to unnecessary procedures (like a catheterization).
You can (and should) calculate your risk for coronary artery disease on the American Heart Association website:
www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml
Gull, even so these assesment tools can never predict everything right?
Sometimes things just go wrong, or stop working, is that right?
I'm curious if the community here could do anything with support from USMS to educate members etc.
Gull, even so these assesment tools can never predict everything right?
Right--strictly talking about risk assessment. Individuals at increased risk need to be treated more aggressively (statin therapy, for example). Prediction of cardiac events is not yet possible.
We're all going to die of something. If it can't be in my sleep, then in the pool is not so bad. You can choose not to compete, I guess, but that would be worse, wouldn't it?
I guess it depends on the person SG. I think for some...just living a life of trying not to do anything b/c of risk is too restrictive and to them they feel that if they're not doing things they love, then they are dead already.
Others might feel that although they love to swim, they want to see grandkids gro into adults etc.
Both views are neither right or wrong. It's a choice.
We're all going to die of something. If it can't be in my sleep, then in the pool is not so bad. You can choose not to compete, I guess, but that would be worse, wouldn't it?
True, but some of these deaths may have been preventable. That's the real question. Keep in mind that the death rate from coronary artery disease has fallen.
