The Final Countdown...8 days...

The Hudson River Swim for Life is eight days away.  As opening strains of "The Final Countdown" echo in my ears, I can't help but reflect on all the days that have brought us this far.  It was just over three months ago that I first re-entered the pool after a long winter out of the water for our first team practice. That night, three consecutive laps seemed like a huge accomplishment, and three miles seemed impossible.  Now, I swim two or more miles every time we practice.  The finish line is in sight and I intend to get to it, come hell or high water, literally.

The day of our swim will be six years and one day after I was hit by a jeep during my first weeks at graduate school. Had someone told me back then how far I would rebound I would not have believed them.  Overcoming obstacles has never been a strength of mine; I avoid, circumnavigate or give up, given half a chance. That day six years ago I felt my life would never be the same, life got divided into "before the accident" and "after the accident", my friends grew weary of my dramatics and mocked my histrionics.  Rightly so.  Yes, things changed and the trajectory shifted, but the journey continued, changed but not destroyed.

The day after our swim will be the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, a moment when the whole world turned upside down. I'm sure those recollections will be on many of our minds as we swim across the river, knowing that our lives have been forever changed because of that event.  On that day we all learned what heroism and sacrifice looked like in real time.

I look around at my fellow swimmers and I see a group of heroes, a goofy bunch of crazy people, who have inspired me to continue this crazy dream and maybe make a small difference in someone's life. I hope that in some small way, our swim is a testament to the idea that in the face of pain and fear and frustration, dedication, sacrifice and love can heal our world, one stitch at  time.

As the countdown continues I hope you'll keep my fellow swimmers, their honored teammates and the patients served by LLS in your thoughts and prayers.