Get your news fix on happenings outside the pool with the latest ‘Beyond the Lane Lines.’ With each edition, we collect personal stories, little-known facts, and general items of interest from around the world. Read on and learn something new this week.
#1 Matt Grevers Inducted into Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame
Multi-Olympic medalist Matt Grevers has been inducted into the 2022 class of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. The 37-year-old 2012 Olympic champion in the men’s 100m backstroke was honored alongside the likes of NFL coach Sean Payton, Chicago Bears lineman Brian Urlacher and Chicago Cubs player Lee Smith.
Grevers grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois, part of the Chicago metropolitan area and later competed for Northwestern University before continuing on for Team USA, earning 6 Olympic and 13 Long Course World Championships medals.
According to the organization’s website, the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame pays tribute to the sports legends whose careers have thrilled, entertained and enriched our lives with unforgettable moments of greatness.
#2 Swimming Australia Launches Disordered Eating Guidelines
Swimming Australia recently released its Disordered Eating Prevention and Management Guidelines, part of the organization’s aim to ensure ‘the swimming community is equipped to support the growth and development of a swimmer’s mind and body that is capable of performing in all aspects of life.’
Swimming Australia President, Dr. Michelle Gallen, said the guidelines had been developed in the interests of the entire swimming community.
“Swimming Australia strives to provide all athletes, coaches, parents and fans a safe and supportive environment in which to train, perform and thrive throughout their swimming life. We believe these guidelines will help identify and change language, culture and environments related to negative body image – things often said or done with unintended consequences.”
“Ultimately these guidelines provide clear actions and processes that our community and Swimming Australia can follow to ensure all swimmers and swimming people can swim, train and compete in a low-risk and supportive environment, representing body positivity, a love for the water and lifelong health.”
The guidelines, which can be found in their entirety here, address such topics as detection and diagnosis, as well as treatment. The ‘Environment and Language Guide’ here is intended to support the positive and sustainable development of a swimmer’s physique. It provides ideas on the why, when and how to talk about, and if necessary, measure and monitor physique throughout a swimmer’s life.
#3 Storied Swimming Trophy Returned 30 Years After it Went Missing
A Kettering swimming club in the UK saw a storied piece of history returned 30 years after it went missing. Randomly found in the locker room, the Royal Edward Challenge Cup trophy appeared earlier this month after having vanished in 1993.
The Trophy was first awarded in 1922, with Kettering resident Charles William Ward of the Royal Army Medical Corps installing the annual honor in recognition of heroics when the Royal Edward transport ship upon which he was boarded was torpedoed in 1915.
Over the years many teams took part in the Challenge Cup competition which formed part of Kettering Amateur Swimming Club’s annual Club Championships. These teams were from Weetabix, Alumasc, Kaycee, Timson’s Engineering, the Post Office, Wicksteed Park, the local police and many others.
By coincidence, the founder of the trophy was a former member of the Kettering Amateur Swimming Club (KASC), part of the Kettering Leisure Village (KLV) team which last won the trophy.
Kettering’s current head coach Jacqueline Farrow, said of the find, “This is a wonderful piece of Club history and we are grateful to whoever returned it, whatever their motivation. It will be repaired and we’ll try to find a way to reintroduce this.” (Team Unify)
#4 IOC Recap of Solidarity Fund for the Ukrainian Olympic Program
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently. provided an update on its efforts to support Ukrainian athletes. To date, approximately 3,000 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have benefitted from the $7.5 million Solidarity Fund, helping them prepare for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Specific to swimming, the fund helped finance a joint initiative between World Aquatics and the NOC of Turkey, which saw 17 artistic swimmers and eight officials from Ukraine participating in a one-month training camp in October 2022 in Antalya, Turkey.
Multi-Olympic medalist Mykhailo Romanchuk posted on his Instagram page back in September, “One of the hardest months of my career is behind me. And I would like to thank the IOC and the Ukrainian NOC for their support and the opportunity to continue training and defend my country on the international arena.”
#5 Michael Klim Thanks Supporters Since CIDP Diagnosis
In July of last year, retired multi-Olympic medalist Michael Klim of Australia revealed his diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). CIDP is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms.
Speaking in February, Klim stated, “I think the swimming fraternity has just been so amazingly supportive, not just from the administration but all the guys on the team and it’s just re-iterated, I think, just why we do the sport.
“We don’t really do it for the glory, and the victories – but it’s those connections that you make with people that kind of last forever.”
He continued, “I went to the States recently to accept the [swimming] hall of fame induction and I spent some time with Gary Hall and he’s probably one of my closest friends in the swimming community and 20 years on from such a great, great battle that we had in the pool we’ve remained friends and we realised what it was in that moment in sport.
“And certainly outside the pool he’s a great individual and I cherish our friendship.”
Klim is a patron of the ‘Klim Swim’ taking place through the month of March, challenging Australians to collectively swim 34,000k to raise funds for children with brain injuries and illness.
“Originally we were raising money to refurbish that ward at the Royal Children’s … so I’ve been a very passionate patron and now, ironically I’ve got a very similar condition that I’ve witnessed with my own eyes that kids were suffering and it’s been so hard for me to come to terms with it,” he said.
You can learn more about the Klim Swim Challenge here.
Did Grevers ever officially retire?
This particular quad only a few formally retired