Yesterday I swam the 2 mile pier to pier at Newport Beach. This was not my first open water swim. I have done many of them. However, yesterday was the first time I encountered such a disturbing experience.
There were 240 people in the race. Of course there was the usual bumping, clobbering, smacking, kicking, and pulling that goes on when ever this many swimmers are converging on one point. Anyone who has ever done an open water swim is used to this. But yesterday a male swimmer actually grabbed me from behind the neck, pushed me down under the water, and then kicked me in the head in order to swim over me. When I say he grabbed me by the neck -- I mean GRABBED HARD. This was not an accident, but a purposeful manuever to get ahead. When I came up for air I was pounded by the swimmer behind me (also a male) who actually apologized.
I finished the swim and I will do more of them. I am still stunned though and my neck hurts today. I am not so naive as to think this kind of stuff never happens, I guess I'm just blown away because it actually happened to me and I was not in any way in competition with this guy.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Kerri
Parents
Former Member
Don't get me wrong, it was brutal. I didn't play Division 1, but I did play for one of the best Community College teams in California. Being pulled back, kicked, pushed, scratched, etc were a given part of the game. My high school coach had received 3 broken noses while playing. And I once watched my team's goalie get into a fist fight with the opponent's goalie (that was fun because he won, and we won the game without him for the remainder).
But overall, water polo is the most fun sport that I have ever played. Granted, I would still rather swim in open water races...
Don't get me wrong, it was brutal. I didn't play Division 1, but I did play for one of the best Community College teams in California. Being pulled back, kicked, pushed, scratched, etc were a given part of the game. My high school coach had received 3 broken noses while playing. And I once watched my team's goalie get into a fist fight with the opponent's goalie (that was fun because he won, and we won the game without him for the remainder).
But overall, water polo is the most fun sport that I have ever played. Granted, I would still rather swim in open water races...
