Swimming results, pt II

What a day at the Brisbane Aquatic Center. I am so relieved to be finished, and very content w/ my results. 100 backstroke was the big event today, and my best hope of gold, so I thought. I knew Ran, Team UK, was up for it, since he had been smoking everyone in all his races, but was unsure of the rest of the field. I was in lane 4 w/ the outer lanes my primary concern. I had a good first leg of the 50, and saw Ran in the far lane turning just ahead of me. My plan was to build up to finish hard and overtake him. I really went all out and struggled to the finish, but it was a good finish. Unfortunately, Ran was already done and standing up, having absolutely swam his personal best and setting a new world record. My time was 1.24, and was good enough for a silver. Bronze was 1.30

I was in the finals for the 50 breaststroke, but totally ran out of gas. By about the mid-point, I wanted to go home and get my "bankie." I finished for a soggy 6th place, but not disappointed. The number of competitors in the 40s age group was very , and every event was full of medal contenders. Nothing was free. I have to say that as much as I wanted to win a gold, the healthy competition and bantering about w/ guys from all over the globe was worth all the energy to get here. A historic event in my life.

Jim Gill and Kim Estep from Team NC were absolutely blazing fast, each winning multiple golds and setting world records. Our state team has much of which to be proud. The meet was full of children, youth and adults swimming for life at an international level. How? Because transplantation works, and it works amazingly well.

Give life, be an organ and tissue donor.