Matt Grevers and I were outside St. Louis in Chesterfield, MO. Two awesome swimmer friends, Katie and Allison, and Allison’s dad, picked us up at the airport. They didn’t mind getting out of school early to meet the great Matt Grevers. We had a late lunch at the St. Louis Bread Co. to get to visit some more and then we headed to the high school pool. There we finally met Coach Kevin Mabie and assistant Coach Jenny and all the super swim moms who were already setting up for the clinic. We had the most interviews before the clinic in history, but I think it was more for a comment about the Phelps situation. It’s great to know that the members of the Mutual of Omaha Gold Medal Team, take such great pride in living clean and being a role model for kids.

All the kids enjoyed the autographs and goodies and pictures with the medals but they really got fired up when they found out they were going to race one of the fastest and tallest swimmers in the world – Matt Grevers!!

Let me take time to announce the winners….Streamline winner for the ladies was a tie between Allison (one of my hosts) and Charlotte. Streamline winner for the guys was Danny. Spirit award for those with great smiles, a listening ear and positive attitude were Joey and Hunter and Katie and Megan.

After Matt and I raced the kiddos, I challenged Matt to a race, even though I knew he could blow me away. Without any warning at the end of the backstroke teaching I challenged him to a 50 back. He was ahead at the turn of course, but then he was so big and the pool so shallow on his dolphin kicks off the wall he was scrapping the bottom so it allowed me to catch up and he just barely touched me out at the finish, just like he did at Olympic Trials and then Olympic Games! Our time was about :23.5. So not too shabby for an old guy like me! That was the first time I raced Matt, but oh no, not the last…

We concluded with Matt’s hilarious and exciting stories from Beijing and some more autographs and pictures. On a side note, I was very proud of this clinic because I went my fastest 100 scy freestyle demonstration of my teaching career; a :45.8. Of course the LZR racer helps a ton but it felt good to know that my minimal training and weekend craziness was keeping me in decent shape. My time in St. Louis was really special but the drama and excitement was only about to begin. But before I get that story, I would like to say a big thanks to Kevin Mabie and his staff.

By January we had 25 clinics booked for 2009, WOW!! I am happy to announce we have new athletes to choose from to join me for clinics such as Haley McGregory, Christine Magnuson, Lacey Nymeyer, Gil Stovall and Matt Grevers. Man, today’s swim club swimmers are so lucky with the number of Olympians they have the opportunity to meet, swim and race against if they book a BREAKout Clinic. It’s truly awesome of Mutual of Omaha to invest so much into the swimming community. I wish I had that opportunity when I was a kid. And many clubs are taking advantage of such a great program! We hope other clubs take notice, and book theirs to help us reach our goal of 100 clinics for 2009.

I had a clinic every weekend in January. I started off in my home state of Texas; the Houston Swim Club booked TWO clinics in one day. One clinic for their swim instructors, and the other for their swim club. (Talk about setting yourself up for success!!) After speaking to over 100 swim instructors for 3 hrs Saturday morning, Coach Gilbert and his 90 swimmers and I had a wonderful clinic! I personally had a special time in that I broke the pool records in the 100 freestyle (47.1 seconds) and then had to race every swimmer (12 X 25’s). I loved every second of the pain! Thanks Bonnie and Gilbert and my host family, The Ritter’s!

The following three clinics were much colder, than the hot Texas weather I am used to. Ben Wildman-Tobriner, the fastest American man EVER in the 50 yard Free, joined me in Herndon, VA to visit the Herndon Commanders for their second clinic, hosted by Kerstin Severin. Kids and parents alike were blown out of the pool with Ben’s stories of perseverance. When the Stanford graduate, currently a medical student, showed us the brand-new Beijing medal with the rare white jade on the back, you could hear the crowd “Ohhh and Ahh”. To top it off the swimmers raced side-by-side with one of the only American’s to swim 18 seconds in a 50-Free.

The third weekend, I headed to Joliet, IL with Christine Magnuson. One word – BRRRR! The high was a freezing 9° but, thankfully the pool was hot, and the kids were excited! We visited the Joliet & Morris Stingrays hosted by Tammy Woehlert. Christine brought along her 2 silver 2008 Olympic Beijing medals for the kids to hold and take picture with. It was great!

The following weekend I headed back to the snow in North East, PA with Mark Gangloff. I had a blast making snow angels with Serene Klomp and the Eastside YMCA Swim Team. Get this, Serene called back, they had such a good response and people asking when the next clinic would be that they booked their next clinic for November! I’m telling you guys, this is an amazing program for the kids and parents, check out their club comments.

The last weekend of January, Ruth Ann Ahnen with the Lake Country Swim Team, brought her THIRD clinic to their club in Hartland, WI. Christine Magnuson and I had a blast, and very much enjoyed the opportunity to inspire and touch so many lives. Check out their club comments page.

The last eight clinics of 2008 were a blast and those months went by in the blink of an eye. Michael Phelps 8 medal victory has been an amazing boost to the sport of swimming. Every child wants “to be like Mike.” In the 1990’s it was Michael Jordan, now it’s Michael Phelps. (Hmmm…maybe there is something in a name.) The phone was and has been ringing off the hook to book a clinic. I had a clinic every weekend in November, AMAZING! I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to the following clubs and coaches for hosting a clinic.

The first weekend in November I visited Crown Point, IN with Mark Gangloff, hosted by the Crown Point Swim Team (their 2nd clinic). Thanks Coach Krick! The next day I went to Millersville University in Lancaster, PA hosted by Coach Kyle Almoney with Marauder Aquatic Club. The following weekend, I went back to Lancaster, PA to the Lancaster YMCA hosted by Coach Cindy Drob. The third weekend, I visited Eau Claire, PA hosted by Paula Caucutt with the Eau Claire Marlins. The next day there were two BREAKout clinics going on, I was in Ft. Washington, PA with Eric Shanteau visiting the Manorlu Swim Club & Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (their 3rd clinic!) hosted by Stephanie Smith. While I was there, Neil Walker was in Metuchen, NJ, with the Metuchen-Edison YMCA hosting their 2nd clinic this year! Thank you Kristin Sinram! I closed out the November clinics in New Haven, CT with the Hopkins School Swim Team, hosted by Chuck Elrick.

I took a much needed vacation in December, but Ed Moses and Aaron Peirsol ran a great clinic in Westborough, MA at the Westborough Tennis & Swim Club (3rd clinic) hosted by Debi Kesper.

Thank you to the wonderful clubs for hosting a Mutual of Omaha BREAKout Swim Clinic and to the athletes for making time to be an inspiration for the next generation of Olympians.