my story
By Dave Wharton
Editor’s Note: “My Story” is a first-person column by a New Albany community member that centers around health. Have a story to share? Email lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com. Submissions should be no more than 1,000 words.
Just Keep Swimming How I never let my hard hearing impact my Olympic journey
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Photo courtesy of Dave Wharton
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t the young age of 6, I joined the summer league swim team – mainly because I just wanted to follow my other brothers who were also involved. The sport suited my brothers and me since we all had some form of moderate to severe hearing loss. We all grew up with hearing aids and a speech therapist. Thankfully, the sense isn’t crucial to your swimming abilities. When you dive in, your head is in the water, you’re focused on the race and you can’t really change anything at that point. No coach is yelling at you from the sidelines and verbal teammate communication becomes nonexistent. As for school, we were taught how to communicate efficiently at a very young age. We were encouraged to ask our teachers questions if we missed some- Dave Wharton has coached swimming for New Albany-Plain Local Schools since 1987. thing and to sit in the first row of the classroom. I went through my in the afternoon to practice more. I did I was young though, and I knew bouts in middle school with people that every day, Monday through Friday. my Olympic career wasn’t over. I rewho made fun of me and didn’t un- Finally, the Olympics in Seoul came. turned the following Summer Olymderstand, but I didn’t let it get the best Now, when I broke my record in pics in 1992, but unfortunately, I didn’t of me because they didn’t know what 1987, that record actually got broken perform as well. Obviously, competing I could do in a pool – especially since five days later in Europe and that athlete in the Olympics is still an amazing exI was quickly becoming a pretty good was also attending the 1988 Olympics. perience though; being in the Olympic swimmer. Our “rivalry” caught the media’s attention Village, forming friendships, getting to By the time high school rolled because I’m hard of hearing and this watching the Olympics after I competaround, thoughts of the Olympics be- other swimmer was blind in one eye. ed, it was all pretty cool. gan swimming through my mind, quite So, yeah, we both have these qualities – Even though I’m not a competitive literally. Before I graduated high school but we proved we could overcome them swimmer anymore, swimming is still a in 1987, I had already competed on a and still be the best in the world. huge part of my life. national team for a couple of years and The beauty with swimming is it’s not I coached at The Ohio State Universiimmediately after high school, I set my like my opponent is reaching over into ty for four years and loved every moment. first world record. When it came time my lane and holding me back. It’s all When you’re coaching, you’re trying to get to compete in the 1988 Olympics, the about your preparation and what you do people to reach their highest potential. So, pressure of swimming on an interna- in your lane. You can’t control anything if you do everything and you listen and tional scale wasn’t too intimidating, but else. It’s a mental game at that point as you’re coachable, you can walk away with training full-time was new. far as your competition is concerned. an experience. You may not walk away I got up, I trained for two hours in the In the end, my “rival” took home with an Olympic medal, but if you reach morning, did some kind of land workout, gold and I the silver. At least we proved your highest potential with what you put in, then took a nap. Then, I would go back that you can overcome any challenges. then you should be proud.
