Swimming Heroes

On the Internet heroes can be shown in many different ways. For example, with swimming heroes there are people from all over the world represented. Male and female swimmers are also present. Divers and synchronized swimmers along with competitive lap swimmers are the categories of people considered to be swimming heroes. Olympic swimmers and swimmers that compete in the national league are both heroes on the Internet.

Michael Phelps, one of the more recent swimming heroes.

Training Michael Phelps: American flyer
Swimming Technique , Jan-Mar 2003 by Bowman, Bob

One component of Michael Phelps' phenomenal success is his "made-for-swimming" physique. But the main component is the carefully-crafted training program that his coach, Bob Bowman, has created for him. Here, Coach Bowman-the 2001 ASCA Coach of the Year-describes his training protocols and provides sample workouts.
I think it was pretty clear from the beginning that Michael Phelps was a special swimmer. When he joined us at North Baltimore Aquatic Club as a 7-year-old, he was a baseball/ soccer/ lacrosse athlete.
His first year, he just did a 60minute, once-a-week stroke clinic with our aquatics director, Cathy Lears. His training and intensity escalated from there to where, by the time he was 10 and setting NAG records, he was better than many of the older swimmers.
Obviously, we had to do some rapid lane promotions.
To those who knew the Phelps aquatic heritage, his prowess was no surprise. His oldest sister, Hilary, was a national-level swimmer. His second sister, Whitney, was also a 200 flyer. She made the 1994 World Championship team that competed in Rome, and she still holds the 11 - 12 NAG record in the 100 yard fly.
So, in many ways, swimming excellence has been a family trait. And while it is also tempting to think of Michael only in terms of the fly and IM, a review of his record reveals a litany of national rankings in the free and back as well.

I choose to present Michael Phelps as a hero because he is one of the most recent known swimming heroes. His 8 gold medals in the 2008 Olympics are one of the reasons that he is considered a hero. He is represented a lot in the Internet in the "swimming heroes" category. These artifacts taught me that the training is really important to succeeding.

A swimming hero from the past : Jill Sterkel

Jill Sterkel

”A person's attitude, effort and commitment provide the power and passion that makes unique and special things happen.”

Jill Sterkel, four-time Olympian

By Sharon Robb


In 1999, Sterkel became one of the first females to break into USA Swimming’s coaching hierarchy, serving as a member of the Pan American coaching staff in Winnepeg, Canada. Two years later she was named Team USA’s assistant coach at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, the first U.S. female to coach at that level.


“She’s an American swimming legend,” said USA Swimming president Dale Neuburger. “And she’s already distinguished herself as one of our country’s foremost coaches.”

I wanted to represtent Jill Sterkel as a swimming hero because the internet shows that not only are there present day swimming heroes but there are also swimming heros from the past. Jill along with many others held records in previous Olympics and were just as accomplished as present day swimming heroes.

Swimming Heroes from around the world:

Alexandre Despatie, Canada

Kuala Lumpur - 1998

One of the most endearing images from the last games was that of another child prodigy. Alexandre Despatie picked up the diving gold in the men's platform event at the age of just 13 and promptly burst into tears.

Ian Thorpe, Australia

Kuala Lumpur - 1998

While Susie O'Neill was reaching the pinnacle of her career, just starting out on his was 15-year-old Australian Ian Thorpe. The youngster bagged four gold medals of his own prompting team coach Don Talbot to gush, "You can't believe he's 15. Its genetics gone bloody crazy!"
Since the 98 Games, Thorpe has gone on to take the world of swimming by storm and the pool heartthrob is set to raise the roof of the Aquatics Centre in Manchester when he hits the water.

Sylvie Frechette, Canada

Edinburgh 1986, Auckland 1990

Sylvie picked up the Gold in the solo synchronised swimming in both 1986 and 1990, the first two times the sport was included in the Commonwealth Games. Technically brilliant and a role-model for countless modern day swimmers, she is best remembered for an amazing row over an Olympic gold medal after the Barcleona games. A Brazilian judge pressed the wrong button when awarding his scores giving the gold medal to American rival Kristen Babb-Sprague having awarded Frechette 8.7 rather than 9.7.
After a year of arguing Frechette was eventually awarded a gold medal but Babb-Sprague was allowed to keep hers too.

Susie O'Neill, Australia

Victoria 1994, Kuala Lumpur 1998

Australian Susie O'Neill became the greatest swimmer in Commonwealth Games history at the Kuala Lumpur games when she picked up six more golds to add to her previous four.
The Olympic and world champion wowed the crowds and sent Aussies back home wild with delight as their swim team swept the board

World known swimming champions aren't only known in the United States. There are many people from different countries that have just as many accomplishments as those in the US. There have been many that go to the Olympics as well as national competitions. Records have been set by these people as well. They also do more than just lap swim, there are famous foreign divers and synchronized swimmers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have found out many things about how "swimming heroes" are portrayed online. A few different categories are, male and female, United States swimmers and foreign swimmers and present day heroes and heroes from the past. These swimming heroes are looked at very highly from fan of them and are well represented on the internet.