How many medals, trophies, do you have?
When you win or come second or third you get awarded Medals trophies, ribbons etc. You also have memories that go along with these.
Do you keep them displayed or hidden away?
I had the tropies displayed in our living room. All of the medals were hidden away. In 1978 we had a break in and all the trophies, medals and of course other things were stolen.
But I still have my memories of my swims even though I have no visual touching and feeling. No one has stolen my memories yet.
Unfortunately for me, I had a moment of insanity 17 years ago and disposed of every ribbon, medal, patch, trophy, plaque, heat sheet, program guide, etc. from my age group swimming. It was quite a lot of stuff but I really wish that I had not disposed of it all so callously.
It leaves quite a void when trying to piece together my previous career as I was swimming pre-internet and really pre-computer so most of the achives would be purely papar and mostly lost.
So for those who are ending thier forst swimming career, I would give the words of advice. Don't just throw out your swimming history. Try and capture as much of the highlights as possible.
Too many medals to count.
I still have the Top All-Around Trophy from my summer leagues. I changed summer clubs when I was 13 because I couldn't stand everyone at my old club. Plus, I was treated like crap there. I went to this new club and every year, I got the Top All-Around award for every year except my last year. I didn't get it the last year because my coach was ticked that I went to Buffalo to get my Junior National cut(missed it by a second) instead of a summer league meet against our top rival. I didn't need to be there because our age group had the talent and the other team's 18 and under weren't what they used to be. Anyway, our team won without me being there. Of course, if they lost, I would have been blamed for it, Not some of the 18 and under girls who let their abilities fall to the ground. Anyway, since I didn't go to this meet, I didn't get that award that year even though I won the IM at the league championships and broke a 20 year record. Plus, I got second in the fly and our relay won for the second year in a row. I would have won the fly but my teammate who won was tapered. Heck, he almost beat me in the IM. Of course, people thought what he did was so great even though I was the one who wasn't tapered. I haven't spoken to this coach in years or care too. The whole situation was so petty and childish on his part.
I have my Worlds Medals hung in my closet and my Oregon Masters Outstanding Swimmer plaques hung on the wall.I have the most recent All American certificate and relay WR certificate hung in my office.The rest of my medals etc are in a drawer.
How many medals, trophies, do you have?
When you win or come second or third you get awarded Medals trophies, ribbons etc. You also have memories that go along with these.
Do you keep them displayed or hidden away?
I had the tropies displayed in our living room. All of the medals were hidden away. In 1978 we had a break in and all the trophies, medals and of course other things were stolen.
But I still have my memories of my swims even though I have no visual touching and feeling. No one has stolen my memories yet.
I am so sorry your things were stolen,that stinks.:(
One of the great things that has happened for swimmers is the internet.
I could search all day for my swims and never find the results of a swim meet from the 50s.
I had 7 Gold medals in the Ontario Championships at a one day swim meet.
The only place I can find the results is in the Archives at the Hamilton Spectator. Next time I go there I will pull the files.
I will have to look at a couple of years of Monday newspaper sport pages.
I tossed mine. At that point in my life, and to the present, they were not emotionally satisfying. They came with a cost, and the memories that came with the achievements weren't as sweet as they could have been.
My family and I know that I was a nationally ranked swimmer, and I don't need trophies or plaques to prove that.
As an adult, my satisfaction comes from things I have done now, willingly, on my own accord. The certificates from the Blood Bank, Go the Distance, Volunteer awards, etc.--they are more meaningful for me because they weren't expected of me. I achieved them independent of anyone else.
It leaves quite a void when trying to piece together my previous career as I was swimming pre-internet and really pre-computer so most of the achives would be purely papar and mostly lost.
You never know; someone here might have some of this info. I helped David Margrave piece together a few things because we realized we swam with the same club at some of the same meets at the same time.
I have tons of meet sheets, meet results, etc. They're all filed chronologically in a big filing box.
I have all of my ribbons, plaques, medals, trophies, etc. I'm actually thinking of getting rid of my trophies because they take up the most room and most of them don't mean as much (random participation awards). I could never bring myself to get rid of some of the other things though.
When I started swimming Masters I brought all of my trophies back from my parents house and I found some of my old medals as well.
The trophies are on top of my book shelf, while the medals and ribbons are in a shoe box that I add too. My 10 year old son goes thru them sometimes and always wants my ribbons. He is now earning his own medals, trophies and ribbons.
For the most part, I don't like getting ribbons or medals. They are just trinkets to me, not useful. I am always proud of the effort that earned the flair; I just don't need the flair. My view might be different if I had won things of the caliber that George or some others of you have, though.
A few years ago I gave some medals to to Melon Dash for her adult swim school (the Miracle Swimming Institute, formerly known as the Transpersonal Swimming Institute), and I need to arrange to do that again.
I do like getting race results, of course, so that I have a record of my progress (or regress). I like even more when that record shows that I performed well. Some OW races give out useful prizes, like towels and mugs, and I like those a lot too because I can use them for something practical in addition to reminding myself of a job well done.
At my new apartment I actually have brought no swimming awards with me...they're all back at my parents house. My trophies are all over the house--swimming, rabbits, skiing, pageants, etc all in cases and on bookshelves. My medals are all in my room and they hang on pegs on my closet frame...this got a little too crowded so now I have some hanging on the ends of bookshelves, and off my desk chair. My AA certificates are hanging in my room at home too in their frames.
I guess I'll have to start swimming in some meets down here so I can get some medals to display at this apartment haha.
