Canadian Para-Swimming World Challenge

Not many competitions bring together both Paralympic and Olympic swimmers at the same time and under the same roof. Swim Week is also an opportunity to attend the Para-Swimming World Challenge. This is the second time that is competition has been hosted by Montreal. This event brings together athletes from more than 10 countries.

Today, July 2, was a great day as Tucker sets a new American Record in the 50 Meter Butterfly. Tomorrow he will be competing in the 100 Meter Butterfly.

Annual GTAC Disability Meet

This past weekend I got to fly to Ohio for the 8th Annual GTAC Disability Meet in Cincinnati. I flew into Columbus on Friday afternoon to meet my beautiful girl friend and wonderful mother where we rented a car then drove down to Cincinnati. We arrived at the hotel, checked in and grabbed a bite to eat then off to bed as I had an early start the next morning.

This swim meet was important to my overall training as I just came off a big meet so the purpose of this meet was for me to swim through it tired. The other part and probably the most important was for me mingle, meet and talk with the new faces and upcoming swimmers which are the future of Paralympic Swimming.

I got the great pleasure of meeting a young 11 year old that was a stud and he swam great. It was a blast to see his enjoyment of racing as it reminded me of how fortunate I am and the pure enjoyment swimming and competing has brought to me over the years.

After swimming all 3 sessions of the meet, it was back to Columbus and then back to the Olympic Training Center.

Canadian Para-Swimming World Challenge

I am very excited to announce that I have been selected to represent the USA and compete at the 2011 Canadian Paralympic Swimming World Challenge, an invitation only event, being held in Montreal June 30 – July 3, 2011. This competition will showcase some of the world’s greatest Paralympic swimmers. I will be competing in the 100 Meter Butterfly. The competition will be held at the site of the Montreal’s 1976 Olympic Pool.

IT’S OFFICIAL…

I have qualified for the 2011 Pan Pacific Championship team that will be traveling to Edmonton Canada, August 10-14. It’s a smaller team that will be going and should be a great meet for me seeing that all of my competition is European. The 2011 Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships Team consist of:

WOMEN
Angelelli, Cheryl (Clinton Township, MI)
Becherer, Kelley (Sheboygan, WI)
Eames, Anna (Golden Valley, MN)
Jordan, Cortney (Henderson, NV)
Long, Jessica (Baltimore, MD)
Owens, Ashley (Stockbridge, GA)
Scott, Susan Beth (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Stone, Elizabeth (Grand Rapids, MI)
Weggemann, Mallory (Eagan, MN)

MEN
DeMarco, Michael (San Diego, CA)
Dupree, Tucker (Raleigh, NC)
Garcia-Tolson, Rudy (Riverside, CA)
Lamback, Lantz (Augusta, GA)
Lovejoy, Curtis (Atlanta, GA)
Miazga, Tom (Milwaukee, WI)
Perkins, Roy (Del Mar, CA)
Prout, Michael (West Springfield, MA)
Wise, Joe (Menlo Park, CA)
Zook, Justin (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

I am very excited to travel and be representing the USA once again.

Spring Can-Am’s 2011

Canadian American open this year was quite different then I thought. It defiantly didn’t pan out the way I envisioned it too. I swam the 400 free on Thursday and didn’t go as fast as I would have liked. I received swimmer of the day for Thursday. Friday I swam prelims and went 24.95 in the 50 free. That put me 3rd in the world and is a best time since 2009 without a full body suit since they are illegal now. After making finals in all 3 events, I went back to my hotel and ate a salad and tried to fall asleep. I started to feel sick and very light headed. My stomach was doing back flips. I went to the pool at 3:30pm for a team meeting before finals and feeling good was not in my near future. I talk to my coach and had to fill out a form to medically withdraw from that session, hoping I would feel better on Saturday. I went back to my room and went back to sleep only to find myself waking up throughout the night and seeing food for the second time after it was ingested the first time. The rest of the weekend I slept with hopes of feeling better. I am glad I swam fast enough Friday morning to put me in the top 3 in the world for the 50 Free. Hoping that this will put me on the Pan-Pacific team for this summer.

I will keep you posted on the status of when they announce the team…

Monday, December 13 – 2010 Speedo CAN-AM Para-Swimming Championships

I left on Thursday, 9DEC, in the evening on my way to compete in the 2010 Speedo CAN-AM Para-Swimming Championships being held at the Etobicoke Olympium in Toronto Ontario, Canada. I landed in the Toronto airport around 11pm, excited to wake up in 7 hours for the first session of the meet.

Friday, 10DEC, I kick off the meet with the prelims in 100 Meter Freestyle first, it was a good morning swim although it hurt a whole lot with the lack of sleep the night before. I had a good evening swim for the finals after a good lunch and quick nap. My parents made the trip from North Carolina to watch me swim, so following the finals on day one, they took me out for a nice dinner.

Saturday, 11DEC, was a very busy day as I was competing in the 50 Meter Freestyle, 200 Meter Individual Medley, and the 100 Meter Backstroke. Out of the 3 events my 100 Meter Backstroke was my best event of the meet as far as I was concerned. I swam a 1:04.55 and for an in season swim I was pretty happy with that time.

Sunday, 12DEC, I had the 400 Meter Freestyle and the 100 Meter Butterfly. Swimming 2 of my hardest events on the last day of competition was not ideal or the best thing for me as I was super tired from the previous swims. Although my times were not my best times, it’s all part of the training process in preparing me for the 2012 Paralympics in London.

I was able to go to dinner one last time with my parents after the meet and prior to boarding the plane back to Colorado Springs, CO. It was really nice to see and spend time with them since I will be heading to California for Christmas.

Canada was super cold, when I left it was 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit and when I arrived back in Colorado, it was 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

It feels so good to be back at the Olympic Training Center. Now it is one week of training then off to California for Christmas with my AMAZING GIRL FRIEND!

Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday Season.

Tuesday, October 12 – A New American Record Set in CA

I just received word that I set a new American Record in the 100 Meter Breaststroke with a time of 1:22.96 at the 2010 Santa Clara Swim Club Disability Meet in Santa Clara, California.  What a nice suprise as this is an event that I do not normally swim/compete in.

Till next time….

Sunday, October 3 – CA Swim Meet Results

What a weekend. I competed in 12 events over a day and a half, placing 1st in all of them within my classification. As part of my on going training and to push my body to its limits, my coach is encouraging me to compete in events that I normally have not competed in before (those listed below with an *). Although I did not set any new records at this meet, I am extremely pleased with my performance. I have listed all 12 events along with my times and where I place among all mens classifications.

• 100 Meter Backstroke – 1:09.71 – 2nd overall
• 200 Meter Butterfly – 2:44.06 – 3rd overall *
• 200 Meter Individual Medley – 2:31.99 – 1st overall
• 400 Meter Freestyle – 4:41.01 – 1st overall
• 100 Meter Freestyle – 58.23 – 1st overall
• 200 Meter Backstroke – 2:25.31 – 1st overall *
• 100 Meter Butterfly – 1:10.12 – 1st overall
• 400 Meter Individual Medley – 5:19.83 – 1st overall *
• 200 Meter Freestyle – 2:10.13 – 1st overall *
• 100 Meter Breaststroke – 1:22.96 – 1st overall *
• 50 Meter Butterfly – 29.92 – 2nd overall *
• 50 Meter Freestyle – 26.57 – 1st overall

The pool was warm but the lack of California sunshine in the morning wasn’t pleasant at all. The pool was a great venue though. It was a salt water filter so the water tasted a little funny.  I also got to meet a future super star named Ben Garrison, he is a S6 and has a passion for swimming that is glowing from every inch of his person. He has only been swimming for a year, but has a HUGE future ahead of him in this great sport that we sign our lives away to.

My next competition is the 2010 Winter Canadian American Open being held in Toronto Ontario, Canada on December 10-12.

Thank you for all your continued encouragement and support.

Friday, October 1 – Swim Meet in California

Today I found my way to California for the 2010 Santa Clara Swim Club Disability Meet, Santa Clara, California. I am going to get in tonight around 6pm to loosen out the flight in the water. This weekend I am swimming 12 events in 3 sessions. I also will be swimming events I normally don’t swim – 200 butterfly, 400 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. This meet is importance for us to have a good showing for the US Paralympic resident team, a good training opportunity and a chance to swim through some pain. I fly out on Sunday and update everyone on how the meet went.

Until next then….

Sunday, August 22 – Rap it UP

What a trip! On the last day of competition, the entire team went to the Open Water Competition to cheer on the last 6 swimmers in this event. One of the US competitors got a Bronze Medal. This last medal made Team USA walk away from this meet with 57 medals in total (men: 1 – gold, 6 – silver, 10 – bronze; women: 19 – gold, 12 – sliver, 9 – bronze) finishing up in second place overall in the medal count just behind Ukraine with a total of 58 medals. This meet was an amazing experience for me as an evolving swimmer as I walked away with 4 Bronze and 1 Silver and four new American Records. To look back and see just how far I have come from since Beijing 2008 to being off the podium in every event to finishing on the podium, it feels AMAZING! I am glad that my training and hard work is paying off and that I am improving and come 2012, I will be ready to be in the number one spot for all of my events!

Today we started the long flight home beginning at 11am and just landed in Colorado. I am on my way to my new home for the next couple of years at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. I am about to check in and get my room assignment then head to the infamous cafeteria for a bite to eat. Then I am going to spend tonight unpacking and getting settled in my new room. I am so glad to be back in the States.

Thanks for all your continued support and following my progress.

Stay tuned…..