SwimSwam welcomes reader submissions about all topics aquatic, and if it’s well-written and well-thought, we might just post it under our “Shouts from the Stands” series. We don’t necessarily endorse the content of the Shouts from the Stands posts, and the opinions remain those of their authors. If you have thoughts to share, please send them to [email protected].
This “Shouts from the Stands” submission comes from Charles Hartley, a freelance writer based in Davidson, NC.
When you start doubting yourself, when you aren’t sure you can wake up and do what you do another day because you’re tired or unsure of your talents or your boss is hazing you, when all seems so hard and painful to endure, you want to think about one person and you’ll feel energized and start to believe that, yes, you are capable of overcoming physically painful feelings and mental torment and becoming successful beyond heights you thought were attainable.
That one person, standing alone as an American hero as the toughest and most inspiring of all in this country I can think of right now, is the incomparable Bobby Finke.
Last week at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials he uplifted our entire nation once again finishing first in the men’s 800-meter freestyle to clinch his spot on the U.S. Olympic team headed to Paris this summer.
His pre-race routine is to think before races about the pain he knows he’s going to feel mid-race. That helps him when pain hits. Just knowing it’s coming somehow helps him cope better.
At the 300-meter mark last night he said the pain began to hit, but because of who he is, a guy who can battle through physical and mental duress better than almost anyone else, he still won the race.
We knew he would.
Because he’s Bobby Finke.
We know what Bobby Finke does, and can do, and will do. He’ll also compete in these Trials in the 1500-meter freestyle race – a body torture chamber even more physically difficult to suffer through than the 800 meters. He’s expected to win that race also.
Because he’s Bobby Finke.
As cool and clutch as they come.
The spellbinding story of Bobby Finke, being a star at diabolically grueling races, blasted into our living rooms during the last Olympics in Japan. Trailing in both the 800 and 1500 races with two laps to go, Bobby somehow found the pain tolerance to accelerate and pass competitors ahead of him and win the Gold medal in each.
Winning wasn’t expected. Nor was coming back from behind with so little pool distance left to close the gap. His two swimming comebacks rank among the greatest in Olympic swimming history.
For me, the lasting memory of those Olympics remains Bobby Finke showing his toughness under the most intense pressure to will himself to push through all that unimaginable hurt and take Gold in both races.
At the end.
What Bobby Finke did in Japan, unforgettable demonstrations of athletic prowess and mettle, lifted my spirits and, I believe, galvanized all Americans who witnessed his feats to believe in themselves. What more can we ask of a person than to inspire us and make us believe we can push through our own obstacles and hardships, and in some cases acute self doubt, so we can keep going, stepping on the accelerator at the end, striving to be our best, every day, silencing the doubters? By doing, not talking.
These two races Bobby swims are like the 26-mile marathon or a triathlon. They’re meant to break people, make them quit; only the toughest prevail. There are many great sprinters in swimming and we admire them too. But I revere most the swimmers who go in the pool and know they’re going to endure pain for a long time yet they can’t stop. They must go on, finish the race. And don’t forget. They test their courage and will swimming these long distances all the time in practices. Competitors in these races know what constant pain feels like.
Bobby Finke is an American treasure we should all admire for what he did in Tokyo, what he did last night, what he’ll do in the 1500 freestyle later in the Trials, and what he’ll do at the Paris Olympics.
Want to be inspired? Watch him swim.
We’re all too aware of disheartening sports stories. The story of Bobby Finke is the opposite narrative, a guy no one really knew much about a few years ago who rose to prominence when the stakes could not have been higher.
Bobby Finke shows us how to overcome our own pains and keep going no matter what.
His toughness helps us all be tougher.
About Charles Hartley
Charles Hartley is a freelance writer based in Davidson, NC. He has a masters degree in journalism and a masters degree in business administration.
Toughest American Anywhere? Because he swims distance? Comical
Having swum many a 1500 as an age grouper and later while in college, I can totally relate to this article. The pain you have to endure at around the 900-1000 m mark is extreme. How Finke can find that extra gear at the end is sublime!
I trained with one of the best 1500m swimmers in the world many years ago. She said she got horrific abdominal cramps at about the 1000m mark every time she swam it. I was a 400IMer and 200 breaststroker so I thought I knew what a tough race was, but I couldn’t imagine swimming another 500m in that state. It really does take so much courage to attack the 1500m in the way that they need to if you want to be the best of the best.
And I know people are questioning him being the toughest compared to Ledecky, let’s say… But he needs to really ‘race’ compared to her. Her dominance is so complete, she’d probably win… Read more »
I remember the best 1500 race that I swam was not my best time (well it was at the time when I did it), but my coach told me before I swam “this is going to really hurt” and it did. But when I got done, it was sort of a break through swim for me. You almost have to look for the pain.
Love hearing about your 1500 experience. Good for you to have fought through the pain and finished. Yes, looking for the pain is a cool way to approach the race.
1500 is a journey into the dark night of the soul even for my piddly masters meets. I can’t imagine doing it on a world stage at the level Ledecky and Finke do it. Nice tribute.
Yes. Utter agony. I have enormous respect — and am in awe of — Bobby, Katie Ledecky, and Katie Grimes. Fantastic athletes.
Bring out Goggins then we’ll talk about toughest American
All the downvotes because some can’t comprehend a former navy seal being tougher than a distance swimmer
Tell me you were a sprinter without telling me you were a sprinter
Well, he’s certainly been marketed that way to us non-stop.
Great swimmer…but tougher and more inspirational than Ledecky?
Finke needs to do a few more years at the top to come close to Ledecky. KL has been at the top for 12 years, demonstrating remarkable consistency. The work ethic, to keep striving in distance, is phenomenal. I have a secret hope that she might pivot to the 10km, as I’m fascinated by what she might do in this very different discipline. I find that the word ‘inspirational’ is overused, rather like ‘awesome’ but Ledecky is both of these.
I couldn’t agree more, Antipodean. Maybe Charles (the author) really meant that Finke is the toughest CURRENT MALE American distance swimmer.
Yes. What makes Bobby extra awesome is he finds the guts late in long races to fight through the pain and accelerate.
So, Charles, you really believe that Finke is more “awesome” than Ledecky? You think he “fights through the pain” more than she does – and has for the past three Olympics?
They’re both super tough. I just like the way Bobby kicks at end. It’s dramatic and exhilarating. I don’t know where he finds the mental and physical mettle to accelerate late in race.
Yes, exactly! Let’s be precise with our language.
What a great article.
For those that know Bobby, he is an even better person and friend than he is a swimmer! Always a class act in and out of the pool.