I thought you would all enjoy reading the essay Tom Peterson wrote
for the Hall of Fame Dinner
Tom Peterson ’92
Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame Essay
I would like to thank the Harvard Varsity Club and
the
Selection Committee. It is truly an
honor to be recognized along side such incredible athletes this year
and those
athletes who have come before us.
Swimmers are a different breed. Many
of you who know swimmers or know of them
will probably not debate me on this point.
And yes, you could say that this is because we are often a bit
socially
awkward, and actually choose to spend 20 hours a week under water, in
isolation
,with the exception of 3 second breaks where you are carrying on a
conversation
in bits and pieces.
We sweat chlorine; it actually comes
out of our pours; our
hair is so brittle it breaks when we take our shirts on and off; we put
our
bodies through excruciating things twice a day, one of which times is
disturbingly
early. We can spot a fellow swimmer from
10 yards out because the sport actually transforms our bodies to become
more
efficient in the water - well, that and we also tend to be a bit
awkward on
land. We can sleep standing up, are
known to take naps several times a day and we don’t really have an
“off-season”. We talk about things like
negative splits, buoys and paddles, conseys and finals, going to “The
Show”, anchor
legs, and 4, 6 and 8 beat kicks. And, while
many non-swimmers know that we shave our bodies on a regular basis, we
also
occasionally wear panty hose in the pool.
We are not normal.
I have been asked so many times while
I was swimming, why I
did it? Why did I spend 11 months a year
doing 10 practices a week for 25-30 hours of training time, covering
8-10 miles
a day and 50 miles a week in the water, not to mention the time spent
in drives
or walks to and from practice? The
answer has always been the same. It is
who I am and it is in my blood. There is
pure joy in being able to master a substance that is so foreign to
others. There is elegance and simplicity and
knowing
that whether you beat your best time, and whether you win a race comes
down only
to you and how hard you’ve trained, how hard you wanted it. When you are no longer swimming, you realize
how illusive defining victory can be in other venues and how diffused
the
outcome can be from your effort. The
work world just doesn’t come with a pace clock, or a scoreboard or
electronic
touchpads.
Swimming is mostly, and is at its
core, an individual sport.
What is so incredible about Harvard
Swimming is that it transforms a bunch of individuals competing (often
against
each other, at times on relays with each other) into a brotherhood that
transcends generations. I have an
affinity and a kinship with those Harvard Swimmers who came before me,
and
those who came after. I feel that I know
exactly what they are experiencing, the nature of their friendships and
the
quality of their experience. I know that
they, like I, have bonds with their teammates that will last a lifetime.
Part of the reasons behind the
closeness of these bonds is
that which happens when any group goes through a difficult challenge
together. It is akin to the Marine’s
emerging from Paris Island, the shared experience of putting your body
through
incredible challenge and emerging stronger, more confident and with the
knowledge that your closest friends were there with you.
But this doesn’t fully capture the full essence of
the
brotherhood that is Harvard Swimming.
The rest of it exists because of the constancy and tradition
across the
past 77 years. Regardless of the year,
the coach we swam under, or whether we had suits that cover much of our
body,
or very little of it; we share a common identity. We
hate Princeton Swimming (though while not
necessarily hating all Princeton swimmers), we can do the Hipza in our
sleep,
are giddy with the energy from our taper at Easterns, want desperately
to go to
“The Show”, would like to avoid but prove ourselves as Ironman, hate
and love
the trudge across the bridge in freezing cold at ungodly hours, and
take trips
to sunny places in the winter only to spend 6 hours a day in the water.
But mostly, we love to wear Crimson and we love knowing that
we can compete at any level, while representing the greatest University
in the
world. Go Harvard!
I would like to thank my college roommates, who were so
supportive of me through four years of “keeping the noise down” and
wild mood
swings from lack of sleep; my teammates, in particular Donny, Stephen,
John,
Brent, Chris and Sean, who cheered me on, even when we competed against
each
other; for my coaches in particular Joe Bernal, Mike Chasson, and Matt
Kredich
who had such different styles, but made such a tremendous impact on me
in
different ways; the University for giving me a chance to represent this
incredible institution; and, mostly my parents, who sacrificed so much
to let
me have this experience. You all mean
more to me than words could possibly express.
-
Timothy D. Murphy
Head Coach of Men's Swimming
Harvard University
65 North Harvard St.
Boston, MA 02163
office 617-495-2268
fax 617-507-0772