So, we all know the names, Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Ryan Lochte, and more recently Kate Douglass and Regan Smith. But have you ever stopped to think about about other sports heroes?
One of the greatest basketball players of our era, NBA Mega-Superstar, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, who was a five-time NBA champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, 15-time NBA All-Star and NBA All-Star Game MVP, began his life and initially aspired to be a competitive swimmer. He grew up on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and only changed his plans when at 14, Hurricane Hugo destroyed the island’s only Olympic sized swimming pool, so he took up basketball.
Today, he is called “The greatest baseball player of all time”, Shohei Ohtani, star of the 2024 World Series winning Los Angeles Dodgers, started as a SWIMMER! He swam through his high school years at Hanamaki Higashi High School, in Iwate, Japan, and his Coach, Hiroshi Sasaki, claimed that the eventual American League MVP was the fastest swimmer on his team, and “could have made the Olympics.” His father was a minor league baseball player and guided Shohei into baseball instead of swimming.
So, today, at ISHOF / the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center, who walks in to swim laps, but none other than, NHL Florida Panther, 2024 Stanley Cup Winning Goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky. Long-time ISHOF Staffer, Meg Keller-Marvin’s son, Matt Marvin, who happens to be a huge Florida Panthers fan, and City of Fort Lauderdale lifeguard, immediately recognized him and struck up a brief conversation, as “we”Bob” was on his way out. The one thing Marvin did say, “He’s got a gear bag with everything in it: goggles, fins, paddles, kickboard and he even wore a Speedo!”
Sounds like a SWIMMER to us! Way to go Bob-by!