The Swimmer

Every bone in my body hurts, but I’m determined to make it across this lake. It's been a long time since I made a long swim like this.

My thoughts wander back to the first day I met my swim coach fifth-teen years ago, he didn’t impress me at the time. He wore a hat that was too small. I felt like he was a bad joke that you just wanted to forget.

We met by the school swimming pool, I wasn’t sure if trying out for the swim team was a good idea, because I had never excelled in any sport, but I was jealous of my older brother because he always excelled at any sport he played. Our dad thought he hung the moon.

Coach Payne, bluntly told me to get in the pool. He crossed his arms and waited.

I quietly said, I didn’t bring my swimsuit. Thinking that would pacify him. It didn't. He said he didn’t care, and told me to strip down to my shorts and get in the pool. That I would have to get used to people staring at me and learn to shrug it off. That if I couldn’t strip in front of him, how was I going to perform at by best with a crowd of spectators watching me and my competitors ready to use anything they could against me to win.

I hesitated, but I stripped, Shivering, I jumped in the pool and started treading water. Then he started to monologue about how on his team there are no second string or third string places open, that he only works with winners.

It was a long time after that conversation that I finally figured out what he meant by winners. He meant who you are as a person, not just at the swim meet, he believed that good character was more important than winning every time. Although he preferred winning.

That’s why even though every bone in my body hurts, I’m going to win this charity event for him. May he Rest In Peace. Tears streamed down my face, not because of the pain, I had learned long ago how to endure that. My tears were for my coach. He was my mentor. My friend and the person that taught me to never give up.

This is for him. It's my way of honoring his memory. I never knew he would become the most important person in my life. Because of him I got a scholarship to the college of my choice. Because he made me brave, I had the courage to ask his daughter on a date. That girl became my wife.

Standing here on this platform, I proudly accept my metal, no longer that shy, awkward teenager, proud that Coach Payne taught me what it means to be a winner. A winner is a person of good character and that’s what he really wanted me know.

As I exit the platform my wife and ten year old son come running up to me. I picked my boy up and hugged him. My son touched the metal around my neck and said you did it you're a winner. I smiled and said yes I am, all thanks to your grandpa.