Swimmers: Courage and Triumph - Taschenbuch

A collection of photographic portraits and inspirational stories featuring 19 swimmers, some famous and some you've never heard of. But whether you have heard of them or not, after you read their stories, you will never forget them. While the obstacles confronted by each swimmer profiled in this book are individually unique, collectively these swimmers share uncommon traits and demonstrated extraordinary courage which enabled each to achieve their personal goals. The following are brief descriptions of the swimming experiences of the athletes who will be featured in Swimmers: Courage and Triumph Rich Abrahams. At 60 years old Rick swims faster than he did during the 1964 Olympic time trials. Rick is simply redefining the meaning of physical fitness after the age of 60. Melanie Benn. Melanie is a highly decorated US Paralympian who contracted bacterial meningitis as a college student resulting in the loss of her lower arms and legs. Greg Bonann. Greg has been a Los Angles County Lifeguard for more than 30 years and is also a Director and Executive Producer for the Baywatch television series. George Brunstad. On August 28, 2004 George became the oldest person to successfully swim the English Channel. George and his wife established the Center for Hope which is a charity benefiting the children of Haiti. Maritza Correia. In 2004 Maritza became the first African-American woman to be on the U.S. Olympic swim team and the first African-American woman ever to set an American record in swimming. Natalie Coughlin. At the 2004 Olympics, Natalie won five Olympic medals, tying for the most medals ever by a U.S. female athlete in one Games. Lynne Cox. In 1987 Lynne became the first and only person to swim across the Bering Strait, from the United States to Russia and helping to open the US Russian boarder. Dave Denniston. Dave was the 1999 NCAA Champion in the 200 breaststroke and member of the 2003 US World Championship team. On February 6th 2005 he was involved in a sledding accident in Wyoming that has left him without the use of his legs. Rowdy Gaines. In the 1980's Rowdy set 11 World Records and won Olympic gold medals. In August of 1991, at the age of 31, Gaines was inflicted with Guillan-Bare Syndrome. In 2008 he will be NBC's Olympic swimming commentator. Dawn Blue Gerken. Dawn overcame childhood lupus and aggressive chemotherapy treatments to become a 7 time All American swimmer and head swim coach at MIT. Jeff Keith. Jeff, who lost his leg to cancer as a young boy, founded the annual Swim Across the Sound event tot raise money for cancer treatment programs. Terry Laughlin. Masters swimmer Terry wrote the most successful book in swimming history. Total Immersion : The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier. Marcy MacDonald. In August 2001 she became the first American woman to successfully accomplish a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel. Mike Nyeholt. In 1981 Mike was a 3 time All American swimmer who became paralyzed from the chest down following a motorcycle accident. Mark Spitz. Perhaps the best known US Olympian of all time, in any sport. Christopher Swain. Christopher swam all 1234 miles of the Columbia River to raise awareness of the dislocated peoples and disrupted ecosystems of the Columbia River Basin. Jenny Thompson. Dr. Jenny is the most decorated US Olympian of all time. Noah White. Initially told he had no talent, Noah competed in the 2004 Olympic trails and in 2006 wasto be inducted into the Navy Athletes Hall of Fame. David Yudovin. David experienced cardiac arrest at the age of 27 during a marathon swim near Ventura CA. He has competed in dozens of marathon swims since.