Substitute Teacher

While it is a little bit early in the year to be away from school, I will not be in the classroom on Monday or Thursday of this week.

Instead, I will be at Stanford University participating in the FINA Masters Swim Meet. To enter, I had to make qualifying times in the 100 Meter Breastroke (Saturday) , 50 Meter Breastroke (Monday) and 50 Meter Backstroke (Thursday) events. There will be over 7,200 people from 75 countries competing in the five aquatic disciplines - Synchronized Swimming, Open water swimming, Water Polo, Diving and Speed Swimming. My events all fall under the category of Speed Swimming. It is very special to be provided the opportunity to participate in this international event. I am just fast enough to participate, but definitely not fast enough to be extremely competitive, However, I am enthusiastic about this wonderful athletic opportunity!

I am especially thankful to Sister Carolyn Marie who is allowing me to use two of my three allotted personal days for this event. In the past, I have missed a few other days for athletic events, but it's been a little while. The day before the 2001-2002 school year, Miss Wyatt (Now a mom & Mrs. Mazza) and I raised $1500 each for Breast Cancer research and walked 60 miles in three days from San Jose to the Marina Green. In December 2001, I took 2 days off to run (very slowly) a marathon in Honolulu, Hawaii. I raised $3,000 for the San Francisco AIDS foundation for that event. Who knows what event will be next... Perhaps a triathlon in the summer? Hmmm...