Page 146 - PINE CREST 2000

ivon iv n
Front row: Jamie Peterkin, Robert
tons
McCurdy, Brittany Trimberger, I* K(>
Genevieve Belanger, Annie Ferguson, 1088
Shandra Case, Dara Naphan, Jackie 108#
Rooney, Kelly Strait, Richard Jordan,
Russ Throckmorton. Second row:
Coach Snyder, Coach Fitzgerald, Ti
Jordan, Jessica Purmort (captain). Ana
tunwn -
DelAlamo, Robin Gibson, Kalei
Walker, Laura Vance, Kate Purvis,
Chihiro Ito (captain), Caroline
Kluckowski, Dan Connor, Coach
Nielson, Coach Columbo. Third row:
Coach Schmidt, Andrew Greener, Jamie
Orchard, Kerry Hink. Elizabeth Hevert,
Kate Cooperman, Natalie Valdivia,
Carlos Rivera, Paul McCurdy. Fourth
row: Michael Averett, John Koury,
Brett Irvin, Ryan Fitzgerald (captain),
Scott Schultz (captain), Rabun Fox,
Guillermo Pena.

Michael Averett
seems to be a
little distracted
during Coach
Fitzgerald’s pep
talk.

He was almost bom to swim, as it may have seemed. From the early to obtain great things one must put forth great sacrifice. This
days he lived in what seemed to the small boy a giant mansion, and later in his would turn out to be a valid lesson fo r the young lad, as later
life the house outside o f his high school. There has always been a constant in noticed by his father. The father, being the coach, noticed his
his life, a swimming pool. At his early age when he could not even walk, he son had a control that few possessed, the ability to accept
crawled alongside his father, a swimming coach o f real talent, on the poo! deck. pain but not defeat. Ryan gave whatever was needed to reach /
With the occasional slip off the side, he would start to race with the national the goal o f greatness; this would head to his own leadership
champions, world or American record holders, and even Olympic gold medal­ in the pool.
ists. Then later moving to California he began his competetive swim team Not until later would he realize that all these things
experiences, always in the presence o f champions and role models. Later with would be parts o f his personality. Once he entered high
yet another move before the age o f fifteen, this one a physical as well as a school he was both a leader in and out o f the pool. Even
mental one, he would come to a place where it would soon be his time to knowing that with every day came more and more
become the role model. Moving from state to state, poo! to poo! before his high committment, he was relentless in accepting it, if not
school days could begin, he had gathered many experiences on how to act, and relishing it. He would put forth the effort in everything he did I
o f course, how to swim, and swim well. knowing that if he did not, somewhere else there would be
Ryan had learned so much from so many people. He didn ’t know it at someone who did. It did him no good to be the greatest if his
the time, but while he was taking an active part in his swimming, he was also peers were not great with him., so he encouraged those
taking an active part in his destiny. The fact that he went to swim practice around him. Every day he started off'enthusiastically, not
almost every day did not seem to be a task, as such, but more so an experience. knowing why or when others were dull and fatigued. One
The poo! deck would eventually turn into his sanctuary. It was a place where he could tell this undertaking was the one thing Ryan had loved
went and could feel no sorrow or regret. With superstars all around he would fo r many years. Swimming was his life.
take little bits and pieces from each one o f their personalities and assimilate
them into his own. With influence from the National Champion, he learned that -R yan Fitzgerald