Monday, March 29, 2004

Eighteen-year-old US Olympian Michael Phelps was on Grand Bahama this week to shoot a commercial for one of his sponsors. Traveling with him were his coach Bob Bowman of the North Baltimore Aquatics Club and training partners, Kevin Clements, Jaime Barone, Emily Goetsch and Dominick Sazbo all of whom have qualified for the US Olympic trials in July and Canadian Olympian Marianne Limpert.
Whilst on Grand Bahama, Coach Bowman brought his swimmers to the YMCA to continue their training program, much to the delight of the YMCA Waverunners. The visitors swam mornings and afternoons showing the Waverunners just how much hard work and discipline goes into those record breaking times.
The swimmers of the Freeport Aquatics Club along with Coach Bell were invited by Coach Ferguson to join the Waverunners at a question and answer session with the elite swimmers and their coach. The swimmers were all introduced by their coach and Michael and Marianne shared their training schedules, diet tips and humour with our swimmers. When asked how he had become such a good swimmer, Michael told the children that it was hard work and determination. He also said that none of them would have come so far if it wasn’t for the support of their parents and coaches and that there was a whole group of physiotherapists, doctors etc who assist them. As for diet, Michael’s mother is his dietician but he said he is basically allowed to eat anything as long as it isn’t junk food all the time. Oh and by the way, curfew is ten o’clock. Coach Bowman was even persuaded to divulge his training plans for the next few months! Michael and Marianne’s best advice to the children was to enjoy their swimming and have fun. Following this session the visitors were presented with Bahamas Swimming Federation pins and Waverunner t-shirts.
It has been a very exciting week for the Waverunners who have taken every opportunity to observe and learn from these super swimmers.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2004

It is said that if you want to know what you were doing in the past, look at your body now, and if you want to know what will happen to you in the future, look at what your mind is doing now. I am not sitting here today, writing to you in vain. I don’t want to speak of the satisfaction that comes with being the best nor dictate to you “winning ways.” I want to take time to speak to you from the heart, because life is a grandeur thing. Something I cannot ignore. And for those of us blessed with the opportunity to manifest ourselves in virtue, through sport and success, I want to share a vision. A vision, which becomes achievable through meditation and love.
For many years now I have been a “swimmer.” I lived many lives, I swam, I went to school, I was a son, a friend and yes a brother too. Still I was merely a being in search for the reality of one complete life. It is only through reflection and conscious acknowledgement of the conditions predisposed around me, that I have found truth in tranquillity. There is no with, without, therefore we live and must live one life. There are no limits to the strength one can harvest through a peaceful and tranquil mind.
My fellow “swimmers” have already spoken of the power of the mind, which are words too often said to be taken lightly. The mind is like a blank page in a book with no beginning and no end, empty one would say. It is not until we are processed through our various societies, that we obtain our perceptions, our interpretations, and our notions. Indeed the mind is a powerful thing, however it is most influential.
I would like to say to those of you just beginning your journey, just finding the pleasantries that the sport has to offer. Enjoy your time, please just be happy. It’s as simple as that. If you find that you are not happy, then assess the root of your unhappiness. Seek within so that you may one day find. Know that the time you spend in existence as a “swimmer,” will surely pass, and you too will have gained. And please know that if you remember to be happy first, success will come. And who can measure success in reality but yourself. So contemplate the core of your existence, find peace and you will understand.
I promise that, throughout your life, as you struggle to achieve your goals, there will be outside forces. Forces driving you to tire in your attempt. Various people that will challenge your character, whilst attempting to demolish your gifted spirit. Telling you that “you will never do….,” or “you will never be…..” But what they fail to realize is that you already are.
For me I have had many obstacles in life, and it is a daily struggle to achieve a truly sincere peaceful state of mind, but I am human, and I try. So now I look back on my life and existence thus far and I ponder not the questions of “What fame have I accumulated?” or “What have I accomplished?” Rather I am concerned with the good that I have done, the lives I have had an impact on, and I pray that I have at the least spread some sincere expressions of love. Now I must admit that, as we all encounter, selfish motives have at times created unrest within my soul, and attempted to drive my ambition. However it is my belief that these notions, create no good, and only lead to a confused and filthy state of mind. Which distracts us from truly experiencing whatever we are doing. Hence these motives can mean the destruction of personality, and eventually loss of self.
Swimming is a sport, a path we chose to take in life. One in which no doubt can have a tremendous impact on your life. There are many lessons to be learned. And when committing yourself to your goals, remember what lies in the future is never guaranteed. The only time we have is experienced in the here and now, which when looked at within its context, in reality does not exist. So just simply enjoy yourself, meditate on life and work hard. The answers you find in your contemplation will surely guide you to your purpose.
And now I will conclude, wishing you all the best in your lives. And as this is my last and final year competing in the sport, I would like to extend thanks to all those people in my life who stood for something, who picked me up when I fell, and offered direction when I was lost. For without you there can be no me, the reality of the impermanence and interdependence of life is never more apparent to me. And of course I cannot thank anyone or anything without in the same breath giving thanks to God, the only creator I know, magnificent being through whom all manifestation is possible. And finally I pray for all those in the heart of an experience. Everything has meaning and meaning manifest itself within everything, so let a present emerge, as the beauty of life is revealed.

As I thrust,
my intensely,
tensed structure,
deep into the chill,
of liquid chlorine.
Furies of the mind,
create fear and ambition.
I feel each molecule,
of life, flowing over my body.
Like a rocket now.
No stopping the propulsion.
For to tire in the attempt,
is to give up.
And that which is not an option.
So suddenly a wall emerges,
there is a shift in direction,
and the war has begun,
whilst trying to ignore,
the water within my lungs.
So I,
spit and move on.
No excuses here.
And success is measurable,
in the heart.
And the satisfaction is in the act itself.
But sorry some loss track,
of what they are about.
But as I emerge,
breathless and last,
I am happy.
For I existed.
And I have peace,
for I know that I tried.
- Nicholas Alexander Rees

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Tuesday, January 13, 2004

January 10, 2004
 
BJ Jones
AUSTIN, TX - The depth of the top-ranked Auburn swimming team proved to be too much for No. 2-ranked Texas as the defending NCAA Champions defeated the Longhorns, 136-102, in a dual meet on Saturday at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
"The depth was what I was looking for and the guys stepped up," AU Coach David Marsh said. "NCAA Championships is not about the front-line guys, it is about the whole team. Eric Shanteau has been working hard in his training and it is paying off for him. BJ Jones is showing what he can do while Doug Van Wie, who is one of the hardest workers, is also beginning to see big dividends."
Jones picked-up first-place points twice for the Tigers as the junior clocked a 9:16.33 in the 1000 freestyle, just ahead of teammates Nate Knopf (9:22.87) and Daniel Slocki (9:25.79), giving the Tigers a 1-2-3 sweep. The LaGrange, Ga., native then was the first to the wall in the 500 freestyle, stopping the clock in a time of 4:23.33.
The 400 IM was all Auburn as Shanteau (3:49.89), Mark Gangloff (3:55.77), Van Wie (3:58.99) and Jeremy Knowles (3:59.31) all touched the final wall prior to the first Texas swimmer.
The Tigers also took three of the top four spots in the 200 butterfly as Knowles touched first in a time of 1:48.41 while Kurt Cady was third (1:50.04) and Lyle Babcock was fourth (1:50.16). Mark Johnson was fifth with a time of 1:50.59.
George Bovell and Joey Schneider combined to go 1-3 in the 200 freestyle as Bovell clocked a 1:36.69 and Schneider a 1:39.69. Byran Lundquist was fifth with a time of 1:41.10.
Texas responded by winning the 50 freestyle, but again the depth of Auburn proved to give the Tigers a boost as 2003 NCAA Champion Fred Bousquet was second with a 20.48 and Derek Gibb was third with a 20.69.
Texas took the first race of the meet with a little more than a half-second victory in the 400 medley relay, clocking a 3:14.41 to AU's 3:15.12, which was comprised of Bryce Hunt, Mark Gangloff, Fred Bousquet and Ryan Wochomurka.
Auburn closed out the meet with the fastest time in the 400 freestyle relay as Cady, Bovell, Jones and Gibb rallied to touch first in a time of 2:59.54.
Though the diving was contested during Friday's exhibition meet, the AU quartet provided the Tigers with plenty of points and gave the AU coaches a good reason to look for good things out of Jeff Shaffer's group come SEC and NCAA time.
The win was the 20th-consecutive dual meet victory for Auburn, which has not lost since January of 2001.
AU returns to the pool on Friday with a 3 p.m. short course-meters dual meet with Tennessee. The Tigers will then join with their female counterparts to swim a long course-meters meet with Southern Cal on Saturday and Sunday. Joining the Tigers and the Trojans will be North Baltimore Aquatics, which features American standout Michael Phelps. Those meets are set to start at 1 p.m.

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