By Lynn Berman

Special to the Press

There was a lot of traffic in North Texas recently, with athletes from all over the state competing in the TAAF Winter Games. The Winter Games is patterned after the Olympic Games and U.S. Olympic Sports Festivals, for the state of Texas and for athletes of all ages and levels, whether recreational, special needs, or Olympic hopefuls in almost every sport imaginable including swimming, and with athletes from Prosper.

"Swimming is a lifetime sport for everyone, whatever the age or whatever the size of the athlete" said Kristie Weaver, TAAF Swimming Commissioner.

One just needed to look around the pool to find the absolute truth to that statement, evidenced by the variety of swimming athletes during these games where over 600 people participated.

The athlete's ages ranged from a 4-year-old from the Woodlands who has only been swimming for a year, to the oldest athlete who is well into her sixties. That range includes the over-40 U.S. Masters swimmer from Weatherford, who broke 3 Winter Games Records. The 2010 Winter Games' athletes' abilities ranged from the physically challenged boy from Denton who was adopted from Russia three years ago and swam his events without his prosthetic legs, to the 12 year old girl from Prosper who is ranked in the top 10 swimmers in the nation for her age by USA Swimming.

The Cyclone's Swim Team, from The Woodlands, TX brought almost 20 of their swimmers to Frisco, the host city of the Winter Games of Texas, including 5 year old, Caroline Feuquay and her family of five. She was easily noticed with her bright pink swim cap accented with a decorative flower, and for having a late take-off for the 25-yard backstroke, only pushing off the wall when she looked to see the other swimmers starting. She was coached by big-brother Cole, 10, through her entire race, directing her to "Go, Go, Go", and "Stop looking at me" because every time he cheered her on, Caroline would look out of the water at her brother who was trying to be helpful.

Feuquay finished 52nd out of 53 swimmers, for the 8 & Under 25 Yard Backstroke event. "This was my first Games" said the out of breath, Feuquay after her race. Swimmers of all ages enjoyed the races no matter what their level of competition.

TAAF Winter Games record breaker, 49 year-old orthodontist and father of four, Steve Wood, of Weatherford, recently began swimming for U.S. Masters Swimming. He launched his swimming after a "20 year hiatus from the sport due to the normal busyness of career, marriage and starting a family" said Wood, which is the familiar story where most of us give up our youthful sports.

U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) is a national organization that provides organized workouts, competitions, clinics and workshops for adults aged 18 and over. Programs are open to all adult swimmers (fitness, tri-athlete, competitive, non-competitive) who are dedicated to improving their fitness through swimming. Wood broke 3 TAAF records this past weekend, in the 40 & Over Age group; 50 Yard Free (23.38), 50 Yard Backstroke (31.46), and 100 IM (1:15.68). Additionally, he is ranked in the Masters Swimming Top Ten Short Course for Men ages 45-49: ranked 1st in the United States for 50 Freestyle (20.61), 1st in the U.S. for 100 Backstroke (52.30), 2nd in the U.S for 100 Freestyle (47.18), and 9th in the U.S. for 100 Butterfly (53.69). The first time Winter Games participant is also an All-Time All-American Swimmer for Auburn University.

The first Winter Games in Frisco attracted about 200 swimmers and has already tripled in participation.

"Every year we are getting more swimmers and more TAAF records being broken, with over 70 new records in the 2010 Winter Games", Weaver said. "The TAAF Winter Games for swimming differs from the Summer Games by allowing any swimmer regardless of affiliation, like USA or YMCA to compete. The Summer Games includes all the amateur clubs who swim for summer fun. They qualify if their team swam in a regional meet. The Summer Games usually has about 3,000 swimmers.

The TAAF Winter and Summer Games are a fun, healthy way for kids of every swimming region to compete together, awarding ribbons and medals to the Top 3 individuals and placement ribbons for swimmers who receive fourth through eighth place.

According to Weaver, there is "not a State Championship Team Title Awarded since TAAF views swimming as an individual sport, even though there are several swim teams throughout Texas who claim they are the state champions." She further explained, "these meets are not scored."

Even though times are unofficial for USA Swimming Statistics or YMCA swimmers, since this is not a sanctioned meet, many athletes from these clubs partake in the Winter Games just for the fun of it. Some participate as teams, like USA's Quest Aquatics from Decatur, and some compete as individuals like members of USA's Frisco Aquatics, especially since it is in their home practice pool.

Destiny Nelson swims for Frisco Aquatics and has participated in the TAAF Winter Games for 3 years now. She earned the 2008 TAAF Winter Games records for 9-10 50 Yard Freestyle (29.28), 9-10 Age Group 50 Yard Breaststroke (36.32) 9-10 100 Yard IM (1:11.25).

In the 2009 edition, she broke the records for 11-12 Breaststroke (33.83), 11-12 100 IM (1:05.63) and 13-14 200 Yard Medley Relay Team (2:04.35) where she swam up an age group. It's no surprise that she has continued to break records in the 2010 TAAF Winter Games, breaking her own 11-12 records this year in the 50 Yard Breaststroke (33.82) and 100 Yard IM (1:05.35). She can now add to her resume a new record for the 50 Yard Backstroke (30.30). Destiny Nelson still holds on to her 9-10 Age Group 50 Yard Freestyle, 9-10 100 IM, and 13-14 200 Medley Relay records.

Nelson was also recently named in USA Swimming's Top 10 National Age Group Recognition Program for 8 different events as an 11 year old. The National Age Group Recognition Program is an awards program for the top level of age group swimmers. Awards are for the fastest 10 swimmers of each gender in each recognized event in each single age group, ages 11-17. The awards are made for both short course and long course meter events. Nelson is currently on this year's Top 10 list as well, with the list being complete after the long course season.

"The TAAF Winter Games are fun", said Nelson who teamed up with other Frisco swimmers her age but of various skill levels to make a very diverse relay team.

That's exactly what makes the TAAF Winter Games unique because these various skilled athletes get to swim together in the same meet that may not happen otherwise since participation in USA meets is determined by qualifying times. A perfect example of the variety of athletic skills in the TAAF Games is the 2010 11-12 freestyle and medley Relay team comprised of Nelson, rookie swimmer Olivia Distasio, Kelsey Bergman, and Julia Bergman, who has swam both for USA and TAAF teams. They earned a Bronze Medal in these Winter Games in the freestyle relay.

It is surely inspirational to hear of a 49 year old World Record Swimmer from Weatherford, and the 12 year old Olympic hopeful from Prosper, proving the TAAF Winter Games bring out the best champions of all ages and abilities.

However, the genuine champion of the entire swim meet didn't earn a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place medal, or break any records, but he did earn an 8th place ribbon for 11-12 Boys, in the 50 Yard Butterfly.

First-time participant, Ganady Summitt, began swimming just over a year ago. He swims for The Denton Area Swim Club, Sailfish who came to the meet with his passionate coach, Amy Gulley, and almost 50 participants from his team, including his 2 sisters and mother, Emily Summitt who competes in the Masters Swimming.

What makes Ganady's racing a championship race if he didn't win? Ganady Summitt was born without fully-formed legs or hands. He competed without his prosthetic legs and kept pace not far behind boys his own age, leaving many wet eyes and cheering of the officials, swimmers and spectators in the stands.

Ganady was adopted from Russia 3 years ago, at age 9. When he learned he was going to the United States, he said, "I remember feeling very excited after many years of always wanting for someone to come for me, but it never happened and I didn't think it would happen for me".

Ganady remembers living in three different orphanages.

"I understand that my birth family didn't have enough money to take care of me" he said.

Ganady went from having no family to becoming a big brother in the Summitt household. His 10 year old brother was also adopted from Russia and his two sisters, 6 and 7 years old, were both adopted from China.

Ganady is a straight 'A' student at Harpool Middle School in Denton, after only knowing two English words, "Coca-Cola" and "Coffee", only a few short years ago. He has adjusted to his prosthetic legs and he not only swims for fun and exercise but he plays football with his friends.

"I was surprised how fast I learned to swim, and now after getting my ribbon today, I think I can go to the Olympics", he said.

Ganady may not have won his race, but he won the hearts of the TAAF participants and volunteers. His mother presented him with a gold medal, given to him by the TAAF officials for his courage to compete in the Winter Games and for inspiring everyone who witnessed.

It is all the other little Caroline Feuquays, world-class Masters swimmers like Steve Wood, Olympic hopefuls like Destiny Nelson, and the inspiring and physically-challenged swimmers like Ganady Summitt that makes the Winter Games the embodiment of "competition for all" in the state of Texas.