St. Pete Masters

Newsletter

Inside this issue

SPM’s new website ........ 2

3000/6000 team day ...... 2

Catalina swim success .... 3

2nd place essay .............. 4

SPM Social Calendar ....... 4

Welcome New Members!

Hannah Caron 18-24 Caitlin D’Angelo 18-24 Violetta Gratsou-Zodl 40-44 Regan Jaros 25-29 Sharon Mejia 30-34 Anna Rowe 18-24

Cramming for Nationals: Lesson Learned

BY: LIVIA ZIEN

As I’m always looking for analogies in my life, I wondered if swim-

ming and math have anything in common besides counting laps,

summing yardages, and calculating paces. Ridiculous question, you

might think, but it turns out that studying for a math test and pre-

paring for a swim meet have a lot more in common than meets the

eye. I learned quite a lesson during the Summer LCM Nationals at the Uni-

versity of Maryland. Feeling like I had been trampled by a herd of elephants

after my one exhausting event, the 50 meter breaststroke, I thought to my-

self the next morning, “how could this be?” I felt beaten up, but it wasn’t

because of the bruises I incurred while putting on my suit. My arms were

limp as ramen, my quads screaming bloody hell, I was reunited with acid –

lactic acid, and I had to double my distance and swim the 100 meter breast-

stroke next! I tried to motivate myself during warm-up, but questions kept

popping in my head. Why didn’t I go to practice more regularly? Why did-

n’t I go to more meets? Maybe I could have overcome my fear of heights

before diving off that cliff of a starting block. Maybe I wouldn’t be coughing

up a chlorine cocktail trying to reach the surface of the water on my fly to

back transitions. I might have known that my bladder really wasn’t that

small –that it was just nerves. Maybe the 2000-meter warm up wouldn’t

feel like a workout in itself! There it was. Suddenly, I saw parallels be-

tween my current predicament and what I constantly remind my students.

My own words resonated through my mind. “Learn a little at a time!” “Do

your homework.” “Anything worthwhile, takes time!” “Don’t wait until the

last minute to study!” “Practice, practice, practice.” Sure, I put more time in

the water as the meet got closer, but was it enough? One month, a month

and a half maybe? I wasn’t consistent … and I certainly didn’t deserve a

taper! - see the rest of this article on pg. 2

October 2014 Volume 4, Issue 4

www.stpetemasters.org

3000/6000 Postal Event

Get ready for our team date on Sunday, October 19th to complete either, or both, the 3000 yard or 6000 yard postal event. You can also complete any time between September 15th and Novem-ber 15th. E-mail Coach Patty to sign up for a spot in ei-ther the 8:00-9:30 time slot or 9:30-11:00 time slot. Try to find a swim partner so you can trade off counting/swimming on that Sunday.

SPM has a new website!

We have just launched our new website at www.stpetemasters.org.

FINA Worlds

Congratulations to Bob Beach, Sandy Steer, John Keen, & Linda Visser who represented SPM at the FINA World Masters compe-tition in Montreal, Canada this summer. Bob had top eight finishes in five events – 100 Free – 4th (1:40.00), 200 Free – 3rd (3:42.20), 800 Free – 5th (15:48.52), 100 Back – 5th (4:36.68) and 200 Back – 5th (4:36.68). Linda cracked the top tier with a 2:49.87 200 Back for eight place and also finished 17th in the 100 Breast (1:24.86). Sandy finished 14th in the 100 Breast (2:42.24) and 12th in the 200 Breast (5;46.78). Great job by all!

2014 Happenings

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Grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte and settle in to read the fall edition of our SPM Newsletter. Check out all the amazing things that our team has accomplished in the last few months & get inspired!

Cramming for Nationals (cont’d)

Practice. Practice everything – starts, finishes, turns, streamlining. Even prac-

tice putting on that suit that I worried so much about! Ok – maybe not that.

But all the little things are part of the equation. Practicing math problems

and getting a sense for numbers are almost like putting in the yards and

getting a feel for the water. Maybe a stretch of an analogy? I think not!

But putting the lessons of patience, perseverance, and discipline aside, the

best lesson I learned at Nationals was the sense of community. Cheryl and I

were a small team of two, but hey, we were SPM. Lauren and Speedo helped

me out when I not only lost my mind, but my suit as well! I reconnected with

some swimmers from years ago … even swimmers from when I was in sum-

mer league. And better yet, I met a lot of new people, thanks to Cheryl too!

There were officials and volunteers who selflessly gave their time so we could

enjoy ours. It was a magical feeling to be at Nationals, even with all the aches

and pains … to be in the water with those who came back to swimming and

those who never stopped, those who just started or are considering starting

– each for his or her own reasons. This is fun.

This is, after all, Masters Swimming …Now … get back in the water!!!!

Please e-mail knard819@gmail.com if you are interested in writing an article or if you have a great idea for a story.

Catalina Swim - Feats of Strength, Part II

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Chris Burke didn't know what to expect when he walked into the water off Catalina Island shortly before midnight on Monday. "There's a lot that goes through your mind," said the 52-year-old contractor from St. Peters-burg. "You know you are going to have to swim through the night. … It gets kind of lonely. There's a lot to think about." But 11 hours, 22 minutes and 20 miles later, Burke made landfall on the California coast, completing the second leg of the coveted Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. "Mentally, it was the most challenging thing that I have ever done," said Burke, who trains at the North Shore Pool with the St. Pete Masters. "It got a little cold, but the weather was perfect, and I had some dolphins to keep me company most of the way."

In June, Burke and his friend Dr. Mark Smitherman, an internal medicine specialist from Clearwater, finished the 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan, the first leg of the Triple Crown. If Smitherman also completes the Catalina crossing this week, all the two men will have left is the English Channel. "I think this was good preparation," said Burke, who has also completed the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. "I needed to get that night swimming experience, because who knows, I may have to swim the channel in the dark too." Smitherman plans to follow the same route, leaving around 11 p.m. on Thursday. "You really don't know what the conditions will be like until you get out there," said Joe Lain, who will be Smitherman's kayak support. "But hopefully we will have calm seas and a good crossing as well." Open water swimming has a small, but dedicated following since Aug. 25, 1875, when 27-year-old Capt. Matthew Webb stumbled ashore at Calais, France, 21 hours and 45 minutes after leaving Dover in his native England. His crossing of the 22-mile wide English Channel made him an international celebrity. In 1926, when American Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to equal Webb's feat, marathon swimming became the rage. Chewing gum heir William Wrigley Jr. had a resort on Catalina Island, about 20 miles off the California coast. He hoped the publicity from a similar swim would help business. So in January 1927, he staged the Wrigley Catalina Island Swim with a win-ner-take-all prize of $25,000. On a cold winter's day, 102 men and women hit the water off Catalina and headed to California. Only one finished: 17-year-old Canadian George Young. In the decades that followed, more than 100 people completed the treacherous crossing. A few even swam to California and then back to Catalina. Burke started his open-water career with the short Hurricane Man Swim on Pass-a-Grille, where he does much of his training, then moved on to the 12.5-mile swim around Key West. "You just build up over time," he said. At 6 feet 2 and 225 pounds, Burke considers himself a "big guy," which helps when conditions get rough. Smitherman, 56, was also a pool swimmer who hit the ocean looking for new challenges. "Chris really prepared for this swim," Smitherman said of his friend. "Hopefully, I'll be able to finish somewhere between 9 and 14 hours. I know that is a big window, but you never know what the currents will do." Ocean swimming is one part physical and nine parts psychological. It takes a strong mind to keep going hour after hour, stroke after stroke, all alone in the numbing cold. The chilly Pacific waters are also home to great white sharks, which migrate down the coast this time of year. Smitherman said he isn't worried about sharks. "If you swim in Tampa Bay, you swim with sharks," he said. "Besides, Chris is a much bigger meal than me. If they didn't want him, they won't want me." Burke is scheduled to swim the English Channel next summer. Smitherman hopes to make the crossing in 2016.

- Tomlin, Terry. "St. Petersburg man swims 20-mile Catalina Island to California route." Tampa Bay Times. N.p., 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

SPM Social Calendar

Oct. 25th Shuffleboard - St Pete Shuffleboard Courts @ 6:30pm. BYO beverage + food

Nov. 1st Caps + Craps @ 6pm at Livia & Greg’s House. Come dec-orate a cap, take a chance at the Craps table. Details to follow.

Dec. 13th Painting with a Twist, 2527 Central Avenue; will need to pre-register. Bring your own snacks + beverages.

2015 Short Course Spring Nationals

The USMS Short Course Spring Nationals is in San Antonio, Texas, April 23-26, 2015. Put it on your calen-dar and get ready for a fun team trip!

Tropical Splash

We had quite a few swim-mers swim in Siesta Key. Weather conditions shortened swim to 2.5k. Overall womens winner - Hannah Caron 35:24 Tiffany Weidner 25-29 - 3rd Brooke Bowman 45-49 - 7th Melissa Harasz 50-54 - 4th Ted Bradley 30-34 - 1st Oscar Negrete 35-39 - 4th John Doolittle 40-44 - 7th Herbie Euler 45-49 - 3rd Ron Collins 50-54 - 3rd Phil Harasz 55-59 - 14th Pat Marzulli 65-59 - 1st

George E. Bole Scholarship Award

2nd Place Essay by Alexander Grant

I have been fortunate to enjoy amazing experiences early in my

life and swimming has been the catalyst. The Maccabi Games, an

Olympic-style event for Jewish athletes, has allowed me to inde-

pendently experience international culture, which has helped define my

way of thinking. I believe that future leaders should understand other

perspectives in the world to better understand themselves and the peo-

ple around them. I am a person who seeks to understand people in

order to better understand my place in the world. Without swimming, I

would not have had the opportunity to travel abroad, compete interna-

tionally representing the United States, or experience international cul-

tures. These factors instilled a passion to learn through experiences,

which has allowed me to develop my leadership skills within my school

and within my community.

At the age of fourteen, I had the opportunity to swim for the

United States at the Maccabi Games in Austria. While it was daunting

to travel overseas without my family, I thrived off of this experience. In

fact, one of my most prominent memories of the trip occurred not dur-

ing competition, but during a tour of the Jewish quarter in Vienna. A

group of people glared at us as we walked past, protesting our pres-

ence. It was a surreal moment that made me feel something that I had

only read about. Although this was not a pleasant memory, I learned to

recognize various human perspectives. I returned home with a passion

to continuing learning through experience.

When I returned home I applied to compete for the United

States, in Brazil for the Pan-American Maccabi Games. Six months

later, I was on a flight to Sao Paulo. Brazil taught me much more about

myself. I learned to indulge myself in an unfamiliar culture and to em-

brace another way of living. I had a successful meet in Brazil. I won ten

medals, bringing my total Maccabi medal count to twenty.

The Israeli Maccabiah Games bring Jewish athletes from

around the world to participate every four years in an Olympic-style

event. My time in Israel was the most awe-inspiring experience of my

life. For the first of the three weeks that I was in Israel, I was able to

tour the country with my new teammates. The second week, I compet-

ed with athletes from nearly every country in the world. In the final

week, I spent time with people from different cultures. The most memo-

rable moment from the trip came after a long hike down from the sum-

mit of Mount Masada. When I took a moment to look back up to the top

of the mountain, I saw the almost nine hundred fellow Jewish-American

athletes making the trek down. This sight made me realize something

spectacular; here were people from all over the United States with dif-

ferent perspectives. However, we all shared a common faith and love

of athletics.

I am a person who seeks to understand others in order to bet-

ter understand myself. It is the commonalities that allow for the under-

standing of each other. Despite the daunting nature of these experienc-

es, swimming has given me the opportunity define the type of leader I

would like to become as I look toward the future. I will forever be grate-

ful to the sport that has helped me discover who I am. 4

Happy Birthday to YOU! 2014 Calendar October 10-12 Rowdy Gaines Meet (SCM), Orlando November 1 2015 Renewals begin 8-9 Shark Tank Meet (SCM), Sarasota 15 3000/6000 Ends

*GET YOUR USMS & SPM RENEWALS IN BY THE END OF THE YEAR!!!

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS 1 - Andrea Spurr 2 - Maud Hoffman 4 - Kathy Selles 6 - Tom Andrews 7 - Monica Bradley 11 - Chuck Lohman 12 - Nicola Mackenzie 16 - Tim McMahon – 55* Scott Shettle 19 - Lisa Flanagan Andrew Glenn 21 - Tiffany Weidner 22 - Wes Carr 27 - Katy Kline 28 - Tom Wells – 60* 31 - Selina Herdman NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS 1 - Jitendra Khare 3 - Nancy Orbe 11 - Tricia Moses Theun van der Veen – 70* 13 - Pat Marzulli 14 - Eric Herman 16 - Charles Dean 21 - Nat Glackin Kristy Neuenschwander – 40* 24 - John Doolittle – 45* Jennifer Burns 25 - Fred Lewis 26 - Genoa Fedyszyn – 35*

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS 1 - Cindy Newton 3 - Kern Davis - 60* Suzzette Seril 6 - Brian Rimel 8 - Michael Flick 9 - Mark Beggs – 50* Pam Geiger Lenny Hughes 10 - Jim Montante 11 - David Vann 13 - John Keen 15 - Sarah Kwon – 25* 19 - Mary Jo Cillian 20 - Bill Auer Anna Rowe 21 - Keith Nelson – 50* 22 - Bill Stephens 23 - Cotton Carruth Erik Richardson 24 - Jordan Kuperberg Oscar Kegrete Betsy Wells 27 - Gerry Krueger Julie Valdez – 45* 29 - Jim Stine 30 - Victor Dumitrescu Pat Kirchner Samantha Mooren

SPM Officers

President Melissa Harasz

Women’s Vice President Christine Kirchner

Men’s Vice President Steve Freeman

Secretary Sandy Steer

Treasurer Kevin Mooren

Head Coach Fred Lewis

Assistant Coach Patty Nardozzi

Newsletter Editor Kristen Nardozzi

Board of Director

Bob Aldrich

Gary Bastie

Peter Betzer

Kern Davis

Colleen Egan

Adrienne Forkois

Phil Harasz

Katy Kline

Cheryl Kupan

Livia Zien