Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - Swim Like A Champion (a real life journal)

Breeze · 08-03-2012, 08:13 AM

Summer Swim League – GRPA State Championship - Finals

Bear’s Medley Relay race immediately followed Bailey’s…Bear’s team came in seeded 8th. They were in striking distance of 7th, but that would probably be the best they could hope for., especially given the fact the 6th seeded team was Forsyth County’s A team.

While Bailey’s relay was in the staging area preparing to go on deck, Bear decided to go to the bathroom (as he would be in the staging area next…and once in there, he wouldn’t have a chance to go). Unfortunately, while he was gone…someone slammed his right hand in the heavy oak door. He came out of the gym crying, his hands had 2 huge purple indentions on them right above the knuckles on the first and second fingers, and the underside of the finger was already turning purple. We got him some ice, but this was literally just 10 minutes before he was supposed to race. He was in serious pain, and it looked like he wasn’t going to be able to swim...but I explained to him that if he didn’t swim…the first alternate team would move into his teams spot and he wouldn’t get a medal. So Bear swam his fly leg…it was obvious he was in pain, because his right arm was slightly slower than his left through the stroke (I was so afraid they were going to DQ him for asynchronous arms). They finished last, and a full 3 seconds off their preliminary time…amazingly Bear’s back half split with the freestyler was only 1.3 seconds slower (I expected Bear’s split alone would have been closer to 2.5 seconds off).

We had the paramedics at the event look at his finger after his race, and they suggested if the swelling didn’t go down in a couple of days to have it looked at. Well, the swelling didn’t go down so we took him to Children’s Health Care to get it X-rayed and evaluated, and it turns out he broke the second knuckle (the big one) on his right index finger. The ER Doctor refused to treat the injury because it was a knuckle, on his dominate hand, and he is still young and growing. He referred us to a hand specialist.

The hand specialist casted the entire hand, several inches past the end of his middle finger and told us the cast will stay on for 3 to 4 weeks, but we have to go back and have it evaluated in 10 days…

Poor kid won’t be able to swim at the swim banquet and awards ceremony in a few weeks and he won’t be able to write when school starts on Thursday…
But he swam with a broken hand to make sure he and his 3 teammates got the medal they earned and I’m extremely proud of him…

08-03-2012, 08:13 AM	#137
Breeze Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Northern Suburbs of ATL	Summer Swim League – GRPA State Championship - Finals Bear’s Medley Relay race immediately followed Bailey’s…Bear’s team came in seeded 8th. They were in striking distance of 7th, but that would probably be the best they could hope for., especially given the fact the 6th seeded team was Forsyth County’s A team. While Bailey’s relay was in the staging area preparing to go on deck, Bear decided to go to the bathroom (as he would be in the staging area next…and once in there, he wouldn’t have a chance to go). Unfortunately, while he was gone…someone slammed his right hand in the heavy oak door. He came out of the gym crying, his hands had 2 huge purple indentions on them right above the knuckles on the first and second fingers, and the underside of the finger was already turning purple. We got him some ice, but this was literally just 10 minutes before he was supposed to race. He was in serious pain, and it looked like he wasn’t going to be able to swim...but I explained to him that if he didn’t swim…the first alternate team would move into his teams spot and he wouldn’t get a medal. So Bear swam his fly leg…it was obvious he was in pain, because his right arm was slightly slower than his left through the stroke (I was so afraid they were going to DQ him for asynchronous arms). They finished last, and a full 3 seconds off their preliminary time…amazingly Bear’s back half split with the freestyler was only 1.3 seconds slower (I expected Bear’s split alone would have been closer to 2.5 seconds off). We had the paramedics at the event look at his finger after his race, and they suggested if the swelling didn’t go down in a couple of days to have it looked at. Well, the swelling didn’t go down so we took him to Children’s Health Care to get it X-rayed and evaluated, and it turns out he broke the second knuckle (the big one) on his right index finger. The ER Doctor refused to treat the injury because it was a knuckle, on his dominate hand, and he is still young and growing. He referred us to a hand specialist. The hand specialist casted the entire hand, several inches past the end of his middle finger and told us the cast will stay on for 3 to 4 weeks, but we have to go back and have it evaluated in 10 days… Poor kid won’t be able to swim at the swim banquet and awards ceremony in a few weeks and he won’t be able to write when school starts on Thursday… But he swam with a broken hand to make sure he and his 3 teammates got the medal they earned and I’m extremely proud of him… Last edited by Breeze : 08-03-2012 at 08:13 AM.