Swimming Blogs - Joshua Baseheart

This past weekend I went to watch paralympic trials in Minneapolis, which really was a pretty awesome event to watch. I knew four people swimming in the meet, all of different levels of experience, so I decided to go and watch, and offer some support. I was blown away by what I saw. Many swimmers have overcome setbacks in their careers, but I'm sure very few can compare to the adversity that these swimmers have overcome in their careers, and in their lives.

Last fall I met Melissa Stockwell at the Big Shoulders Open Water swim in Chicago. About four years ago, Melissa lost most her left leg in a roadside bombing in Baghdad, when she was serving with the US Army there. She began swimming as rehab, and this past weekend, set a new American Record for her class in the 400M freestyle, making the 2008 US Paralympic Team in the process.

I met Dave Denniston, who I'm sure many of you have heard of. A former standout at Auburn and NCAA champion breaststroker who nearly made the Olympic team in 2000 and 2004, Dave had a nearly fatal sledding accident a few years ago, and is now paralyzed from the waist down. Dave made the team this weekend, and will get to swim in Beijing this summer. It was truly spectacular to see him able to swim again, and to see him finally get his spot on the team. I got to meet him and congratulate him, and (I'm not ashamed to say!) have him sign my copy of Splash magazine. I imagine it has to be challenging for Dave to go from where he was four years ago to where he is now, but the courage it must take for him to get back in the pool and start racing again is the kind that redefines the word for me. I thought I knew courage and perseverence until I watched this meet...

The thing that impressed me the most was the attitude of the whole meet. It was one of unquestioning dedication to the sport. Not once did I see anybody feeling sorry for themselves, or even for anybody else - there was just an air of dignified acceptance and respect for themselves and each other. It was the kind of vibe that tends to be absent from most other swim meets. These were athletes making the most of what they had been given, without uttering a single complaint about things not being "fair".

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I mentioned in my first blog my college conference meet my senior year - It was basically the worst meet of my entire college career. I had never been one to crack under pressure (at least not THAT bad), so I was confused as to what had happened. I had put the work in, feeling like I had worked progressively harder each year, so I should have been my fastest at that meet. I was quite the opposite - I went slower times than I had been going in dual meets, and watched my two conference records get broken, and there was nothing I could do about it.

After that meet, I was talking to the team doctor, and explaining how I felt I had been dealt an unfair card. He asked me why I thought college sports like swimming existed. I didn't really have a good answer, and said something like "for fun... to keep us active and healthy?". Truthfully, I had no idea. He responded by telling me that the reason we do sports is for more than fun and health. The reason we do sports is to prepare us for life - how will you react when you have a bad meet? Will you give up, only to wonder later on if you could have been better, or will you continue on and chase your dreams? Most likely, how you react to the smaller, more insignificant parts of you life is similar to how you will react to major, life-changing events.

After that talk, I decided that I was not yet satisfied with my swimming career, and that I was going to use that meet as fuel in the fire to get me to Olympic Trials. Now, in no way was my little struggle as serious as what some of these Paralympic athletes are up against, but I think I learned a valuable lesson there.

Obviously, everybody I watched last weekend at Paralympic Trials was the type of person to get back up after life has knocked them down, and keep trying until they succeed. Truly inspirational. I think I am starting to understand what the team doctor was talking about now...

In light of all that, I think I will end this post with one of my new favorite quotes, from "Rocky Balboa": "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" Ahh... You've gotta love the wise, but simple words of Rocky.