[Fredslist] Gotham Swim Team

[Fred Klein]

Below is a report from Gotham Swim Team stalwart Rick Raymond re Friday's
swimming!  Foto at far bottom.

Taking Fred up on his invitation and challenge to do the Red Cross 1-Mile
Across Oyster Bay Swim, the Gotham swim team including Len Pugatch, Fred,
and now, myself, met at high noon at the Centre Island Beach on Oyster Bay
with approximately 200 other swimmers.  Craig Bruck, also a member of the
team, swam last year with Fred.

This was the 17-Annual Swim and the sponsors were having a good time. As
new swimmers arrived, registered, and we waited to get underway there was
tension and anxiety in the air.  The organizers were great helping people
to relax and feel part of something exciting.

The swim was a fund-raising event for the Nassau County Red Cross; and the
money - raised through sponsorships - is used within Nassau County for
local disaster relief.  Swimmers are encouraged to dedicate the swim to in
honor of an individual they consider to be heroic.  Fred did the swim in
honor of fellow Gothamite Bob Formica.  I chose a friend going through some
very difficult family challenges.

Sponsors, elected officials and other important people were acknowledged
during a few short speeches, and we then mounted one of 4 yellow school
buses that took us to the home of NYS Supreme Court Justice Ute Lally on
Centre Island and the far side of Oyster Bay.

The buses were numbered according to each swimmers declaration of being
either a fast or slower swimmer.  Fred and I chose number four.  There was
no fifth bus.

We disembarked the buses and crossed the long lawn to where Judge Lally
helped us individually into the water to begin the swim.  The Judge is a
long-term supporter and has been a swimmer in the event.

The buoy-marked course took us back to where we got on the buses.  It was
the longest swim I had ever done, and Fred said just swim buoy to buoy.
The first quarter was challenging and by mid way I got into the rhythm of
it, and was able to just swim.  I swam, looked at some of the clouds, and
closed in on each buoy faster than I thought each time.  About 45 minuets
after I got into the water I walked out on the other side, feeling pretty
good about myself.

The sponsors call it the community swim – there is on competition (except
with oneself and a few friends).  As a matter of record, Fred’s time was
about 10 minutes faster than mine.  The oldest we spoke to was 73 and the
youngest I guessed at 8 or 10.  No dogs.  There were lots of lifeguards on
swim boards and in boats along the buoy-marked course.  Some swimmers wore
wet suits, others fins and goggles, and some were there just in their
bathing suit.

Fred told me I probably did more than 1 mile because I kept swimming back
and forth across the swim line when I could not watch where I was going,
while doing the crawl.  I spent a great deal of time doing the breaststroke
so I could swim straight (not a problem in a pool).  Fred said he did the
crawl stoke all the way across, and we both agreed that the end of the
course was where we could touch bottom on the far side.

We were met by greeters, a towel, watermelon, and ice cream from Friendlys
when we climbed out of the water.  It was now a glorious Friday afternoon
in August.  Fred and I left, had a quick lunch overlooking Long Island
Sound in Bayville, and felt pretty good about the day, the challenge, and
the cause.

(See attached file: oyster bay swim.doc)
                                            Richard Raymond Associates, Inc
                      Public Participation & Program Leadership Development
                          International Association of Public Participation
                                             International Coach Federation
                                                               New York, NY
                                                               212-777-0083
                                                           raycoach at rcn.com






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