Swimming Blogs - Chris DeSantis

My life will never be the same. Any preparations I had made for my trip to Omaha were completely insufficicent. For six days I was in swimming nirvana. My senses were assaulted by the frenzied energy of success as well as the agony of defeat. I walked among the best our sport has to offer.

The truth is, this weekend blew away everything I thought I knew about our sport. My whole life i had been conditioned to believe that swim meets outside of the Olympics would be poorly attended and recognized. When Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte dueled stroke for stroke in the world's fastest 400 IM, the crowd erupted with the childish joy of a group of kindergarteners who had just been offered a trip to the moon. Even the locals seemed pleasantly surprised that this was turning into the biggest sporting event in the city's history in the longstanding home of the College World series.

For me it was just one more confirmation in the long line I have experienced since becoming a part of Floswimming. Confirmation that being a swim fan shouldn't mean wearing your thumb out hitting a refresh button. It was never more evident that people really do care about our biggest meets. For a week it was very cool to be a guy that knew something about what was going on at the meet. My cell phone, typically dormant, was abuzz with calls and messages at every finals session.

In some ways it really helped me to discover and confirm myself. Confirmation that years of solitary enjoyment were worth it for the moment when I came into the light with others just like me. Trials is where i was always meant to be.

Here's the rub though: this isn't the end. Trials was a culmination of four years of various movements to improve the exposure and relevance of our sport. I think everyone involved should give themselves a big pat on the back. Yet we need to strike while the iron is hot. An inevitable wave of coverage will crest in Beijing. The question is, when that wave crashes will swimming be pummeled back to anonymity? For all the satisfaction this event made us feel, there is not time for repose. I pray that the powers that be will be moved to have a swim meet of these proportions multiple times before 2012.

This mission came to me as I was basking in the glory of my week. In just six days I went from never having met an Olympian or even an Olympian's coach to having a list far too long to recite. For ten years I have dreamed of being a Bob Bowman, a Jack Bauerle, or a Paul Yetter and coaching a swimmer onto the team. This past week that dream became a goal, something real and tangible. From there I decided once and for all, that i wouldn't dream to be anyone else. As audacious as it sounds, I want to be better than those that have come before me. If the best have anything in common, its that we remain happy with what we've done while always seeing what could be better.

Lets take that step.