Awards and memories

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:30:21 GMT

Timely topic for me. Sitting in my garbage can awaiting a tomorrow morning pickup are all my old H.S. and college trophies - including my university's varsity athlete of the year. They've lost significance to me and were just clutter interfering with a basement remodel. However, I still have the first medal I ever won: for an ice skating race on a local pond when I was in 5th grade. What I would never part with are my workout logs, which I've been keeping since the late 70's. Masters medals, certificates, patches, etc. are in an old briefcase that doesn't take up much room. I just toss the older stuff if it starts getting too full. You struck a chord re workout log. I kept a daily log through 4 years of college, every repeat down to a tenth of a second, plus lots of other comments. I haven't a clue where that log is but hopefully someday it will turn up.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:15:48 GMT

My age group trophies, high point, mvp plaques etc. are in the room I had growing up at my parents house. They sit exactly as I left them, well with a little more dust, as when I moved out at 17. I have a strange assortment of age-group ribbons in my spare bedroom right now. When I was earning them I would carefully put them in one of those 12-section divided folder type things, actually I think it was some kind of coupon saver, it's long and skinny, with about 15 sections, along with the log books where I would record all of my times.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:55:40 GMT

There's a lot of interesting stories here. I look forward to hearing some more. I'm really not sure where the ribbons/medals from my youth are... I know they are in a shoebox either somewhere in storage or at my Mom's house. I'll never forget quite a few items that are in there... my first ribbon, my first medal... it brings back lots of memories of the battles that we went through.... reminding me of former teammates, memorable swim meets, the look on a coaches face when you swam well... I'd really like to find that darn box and see what else I had packed in there. As for masters awards, my most memorable are some medals from State a few years back. I was pregnant with my 1st child... I will give my baby boy those medals when he's older, hopefully he will think that is pretty cool that he was there, along for the ride.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:00:38 GMT

I still have all my awards going back to when I was 10 and swam in a 4th of July "race" to entertain the kids at our country club. I am happy that much of the loot had event description and official times. I really wish I had records of my best times from college. They would help to motivate me to make goals to improve on them. I didn't really achieve my potential in college; the times would be a good challenge to beat now.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:19:05 GMT

I gave a complete history of marathon swimming from 1930's to 1975 compiled by my brother Tom, my brother Bob and my self to an agent. He was going to put it together for a book. He disappeared with the information and it has never tuned up again to my knowledge. It had pictures of all the great Marathon swimmers and stories going back to George Young the Canadian Catalina swimmer. It had stories about a swimmer we called Windmill Willie, Kerschner etc etc. I would really love to have it back.

RE: Awards and memories

chowmi — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:30:43 GMT

Michelina - totally awesome! You're a regular Martha Stewart! You should start another thread entitled "What crafts can you make out of USMS medals"!

RE: Awards and memories

Michelina — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:04:24 GMT

Most of my age group medals, trophies, and ribbons are in California with the parents in storage boxes in the garage. I still have my CIF and National medals as they they were the most important to take the trip across the country with me. When I started swimming masters my dad did bust out some old articles from the LA Times and Swimming world and sent them to me as motivation. My mom even sent me my old lap counter from when I was in my teens! As for my masters medals/ribbons, they are in a bucket. And the one trophy is on display in the living room. Just as a fun note, last holiday season, I used some of my medals and made ornaments to give to my non-swimming friends to hang on their trees. A one-of-a-kind gift.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:38:33 GMT

I had lots of awards from my age-group swimming days. When my Dad sold his house, I certainly didn't expect him to take my stuff with him. But I also wasn't willing to dedicate storage space in my house to things to which I had minimal emotional attachment. So before my Dad moved, my kids and I took out all the awards and placed them on the floor of my old room and photographed them. Then I took pictures of the kids wearing lots of medals, throwing ribbons in the air, etc. It was fun! Then I donated the hardware and threw out the ribbons. Now, it's been four years and I don't even know where those pictures are. Glad I didn't waste storage space on the actual awards. Too busy living in the moment! :D

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:10:19 GMT

I have always thought that you should pick up your medals for the respect and honor of the sport. If I win an event or place well, I always pick up my ribbon or medal because I know there are people that probably will never win or place that would be thrilled to pick up that award. I work hard to place as where I have in the past, but there are people that work harder than I do that do not have the natural same genetic ability Patrick

RE: Awards and memories

ddunbar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:54:18 GMT

West Texas had some unique items, rock core from the oil field can be cleaned and polished and is used for book end, lamps, etc. For the West Texas Invitational, they used 3" ID x .5 " round slabs to mount medals. I still use a couple of these for paperweights even though the event data is long gone (I just assume they were for breaststroke). There is a box in the attic for the other miscellaneous trophies etc, and is only seen in the rare trips up there. With my four siblings also swimming, Mom recycled a lot of the medals to the local mental health mental retardation youth programs.

RE: Awards and memories

knelson — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:48:05 GMT

Like others, all my age group awards were at my parents house and they got rid of them when they moved a few years back. I don't miss the old medals and trophies, but I do wish I had some of my old results for comparison's sake. As George said, the internet is a great asset for swimmers. It would be great if the USA-S LSCs went back and digitized their old paper results, at least for major meets.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:31:06 GMT

This one has got me stumped. rabbits???:dunno: yup rabbits. We show pedigreed rabbits. Look it up. It's the American Rabbit Breeders Association and it is actually a huge industry both here in American and the UK.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:12:39 GMT

Portuguese Rabbit Fighting. It's big in NY.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:04:41 GMT

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, This one has got me stumped. rabbits???:dunno:

RE: Awards and memories

ViveBene — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:34:47 GMT

I wish I had a medal for something sporty. :cry: Person who has swum with most icicles dripping on her. :eek: I treasure the first geode I found after buying a real geology ($40) hammer and going out to road cuts with the intent of whacking rocks. Thereafter I threw out bushels of them. Fluorite and amethyst from the Annabel Lee Mine in southern Illinois, marble from the Long Trail in Vermont. Fossils wash up on the southern shores of Lake Michigan, although they are pretty compressed. The memories are rich! Get somebody to drive while you hang out the window, scanning rock faces: nope, nope, yep. Watching for snakes, water and land.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:24:18 GMT

RE: Awards and memories

elise526 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:19:56 GMT

I've kept all my awards from under age 22 boxed up. Every now and then, I look at the boxes to bring back memories and maybe have a few laughs. My favorite trophy is 2.5 feet tall and is one that I got when I won the Sigma Chi Road Race (a 5k) for the women. I mainly did this to represent my sorority during Sigma Chi Derby Days. The trophy is capped off with a big beer can which I thought particularly cool at the time since I was 21. I haven't kept trophies won after age 22 except for a very special few that required an enormous effort. I keep them in an area in my home office to remind myself that I once was a decent athlete. I was diagnosed with a somewhat debilitating medical condition two years ago. Having these trophies near my desk serves as daily motivation for me to overcome this condition and get back in shape.

RE: Awards and memories

waves101 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:13:34 GMT

Shoe boxes make great storage devices. I think I have 2 or 3 full of medals and ribbons in addition to an old scrap book of age group ribbons. One of these days I'd like to hang them all from my college award blanket (still in the wrapper).

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:45:49 GMT

I decided that I wanted to get all of my award down to one small box. I decided what was important to keep were "This was the last relay I swam with this guy," or my last HS state meet, my last college swim meet, one time I won a race at a US meet but to this day I am pretty sure I was out touched, I still have that ribbon (10U 50M Free, First Colony 32.54 1987) . I still have the ribbon from my first "A" time (100M Free, Strawberry Park 1:19.79 1986). Fun stuff!

RE: Awards and memories

aztimm — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:10:21 GMT

I think I just saw an article in either the masters swimming magazine or Runners' World about donating old trophies. There's a group that collects virtually any trophy/medal and is able to give them to children in hospitals. I'll try to find it when I get home. This would be a great way to put them to a good cause, without throwing them out.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:00:38 GMT

My swag was stored in a footlocker for decades. My children found it and opened up Pandora's box. Many memories, both good and bad flooded back. I took one tiny cheap trophy out. One of the ones where the swimmer on a block has his arms back as was the starting stance back in 1967. I vividly rember receiving that award for the 100 IM. I was quite proud. It now occupies a prominate place in my garage. My friends and wife smirk every time they see it.

RE: Awards and memories

Redbird Alum — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:18:11 GMT

Gone... with the wind. I find the elements of today are enough for me to worry about, and like Geochuck, I carry the really important parts of my past in my head.

RE: Awards and memories

poolraat — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:29:56 GMT

As one who is relatively new to swimming, 9 years as a master and no age group-high school-college experience, I only have awards I've won during these last few years. Most are from small, insignificant meets and really have no meaning. But the four medals I 've won at Nationals this last year are something I'm proud of. I've taken these to the local trophy shop and had them engrave the time, place and event information on them. And they're hanging on the wall in my office. Everything else is in a bag at the bottom of a drawer.

RE: Awards and memories

chowmi — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:13:06 GMT

The most awesomest awards were the non-trophy/medal/ribbons. 12 man squad "Pinepple relay" in Hawaii during college training swim meet. Winning team got a case of pineapples, took a picture of pineapples balanced on our head. Delicious. Same meet - gave handmade hawaiian style mugs. You never saw me swim so hard to earn a set!! Gave them to mom & dad. Texas A&M's letterman awards. First two years - awesome. Men's "smoking jacket" style sweater with large T on pocket (maybe had the ATM), and next year was a big blanket with ATM. Last two years sucked - a plaque and a cube like thing. Best thing ever - a reversable squad t-shirt - grey on one side, maroon on the other. I really miss that t-shirt.

RE: Awards and memories

Former Member — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:44:40 GMT

My age group trophies and ribbons are in boxes at my parents' house. I haven't looked at them in years but I recall great pride when I would receive awards for winning races. Very, very gratifying. I will be going out to visit California in the spring and I will probably pack up my stuff and ship back to me at home. I'd like to have the stuff nearby to keep me motivated. My ultimate goal is to swim in a Master's meet. Not sure if I'll ever win a race but I don't really care. But the memories are still there..more gratifying than the actual awards themselves. My favorite award was "Most Dedicated" when I was 13.