2017 English Channel swim

Sunday, September 25, 2011

A Special Dedication...

In three weeks I will be in California to swim from Catalina Island to the mainland of California. I'm looking forward to this very challenging swim. Yesterday, a crew meeting was held with my brother Bill and his wife Jean to discuss the logistics of my swim.   My brother Bill requested a special dedication of my Catalina Swim to our brother Johnny who died at the age of 17 in a very tragic high school accident many years ago. Johnny was an outstanding young man. A leader. He was the captain of the Westbrook High School track team.  Two weeks before his untimely death, Johnny had broken the record for the State of Maine 2 mile run. Also, Johnny was a morning newspaper carrier delivering the Portland Press Herald before going to school each day.  On Sundays, he was an altar boy assisting with  morning mass at St.Hyacinths Church .  He had a wonderful sense of humor and always spoke very highly of everyone he met. He had a great sense of pride in family and country. It was an extremely painful loss for our family.   I am dedicating my swim of Catalina in his memory.

4 comments:

Linda Kilbride Reinholdtsen said...

Best of luck with your next swim Pat. It is so amazing, what you do, and every swim, every stroke, means something to someone. You are an amazing woman.

Virginia Wilder Cross said...

We are watching and waiting for the next swim update. Cheering for you from Gorham...with the Massachusetts fans here, too!

Ginny Wilder Cross

Dana Ryan said...

Were rooting for you over here, Pat! You will be great :)

Paula Steffen said...

I will be thinking of you and your relative Johnny over the next few weeks. I wish you all the best. Well, of course you will be great!!

California water is wonderful. I miss it.
Paula