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Show I . ' v - . ; i 1 : ' t i ... ' r WORDS OF WISDOM about the sport of swimming are given to Vernal Swim Team members by Olympic Silver and Bronze Medal winner, Susie Atwood. right. Atwood competed in the ! : . . -, ;-'..:.! r , 1 1 J , f i ' i ? - f J ' X v . . : ... . ; ! i ' ' T7 ' ' ; ' r f '" ;, ..,,,--., .:', V'- 1 . , ' ' . ' t ' " - - - ' ' ' . . - - " ' f t,n .. :S ' J" .. ' hi vV-A- --:' ' .... ' ' " .. . . - VTfJAL SWIM TEAM members listen to instruction from Olympic Olym-pic swimmer, Su-ie Atwood, center, durinc, a clinic at the Vernal 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games. Also in the picture is Leif Halverson. Vernal Swim Team coach. Community Pool Tuesday. Also in the picture is Veinal Swim Team coach, Hon tieieit. Silver and bronze medal winner in the 1972 Olympics, Susie Atwood of Huntington Hun-tington Beach, California, delivered tips and advice to members of the Vernal Ver-nal Swim Team, Tuesday at the Vernal Pool. Atwood placed second in the 200 meter backstroke with a time of 2:20.5 and nabbed third in the 100 meter backstroke with a time of 1 :06. She also placed ninth in the 200 meter backstroke in the 1968 Olympics. The Olympics was a goal and a dream for Atwood and she reached her goal by taking part in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. "I trained five hours a day and I started swimming when I was seven years old and I got serious about it at the 'age of 12. The 200 meter backstroke is my best event," said Atwood. At-wood. "Just knowing that it was the Olympics was enough to motivate and get a swimmer psyched up and prepared for the event. The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world." Atwood added, "When I was ten years old I thought about going to the Olumpics. I thought I would never make it. The main thing about competitive swimming is that you have to be very dedicated. Swimming takes a lot of hours in the pool and therefore it takes a lot of sacrifice. Swimming is very physical and mentally demanding. One of the biggest jobs for myself was keeping motivated to go to practice and working hard in practicp " The gold medal in the 200 meter backstroke in the 1972 Olympics was won by Mellis Belote of Virginia, who edged Atwood by a couple of tenths. "I performed better at other meets during the vear. I owned the world record in the 200 meter backstroke at 2:25 fro? 1969 to 1972." said Atwood. Atwoi established 23 National Championsh records and 12 American records. S ;i also set four world records. "The Vernal Swim Team invit-1 Susie Atwood to Vernal to help promo' competitive swimming. Competitr swimming in the Vernal area unfamiliar as a sport and so having' swimmer of Atwood's status here 5 promote competitive swimming w' perhaps make it more acceptab' locally," remarked Donna Halverson -f the Vemal Swim team. i Vernal Swim Team members, Let Halverson, Ronnie and Brian Ben 1 plus swim team official, Halverson fie to Salt Lake City to meet Atwood ar jetted back to Vernal with Atwood. Tl Olympic swimmer was greeted h3 Vernal Swim Team members an families. ' Atwood spoke to members of tr-Vernal tr-Vernal Area Chamber of Commercu-Tuesday Commercu-Tuesday at noon and conducted swimming clinic at the Vernal Poo'. "Basically a normal two hour swii". team practice was run. She took th-members th-members through fundamentals ah helped them on improving thei strokes. She also helped the coacht; with technique expertise," statt' Halverson. A reception for Atwood wa' held Tuesday evening at the Verm-Pool Verm-Pool and she signed autographs i Sunset Sports Center, Wednesday. The visit by Atwood was arrange and sponsored by the Vernal Swir Tern, Aquatics Booster Club, Frontie Travel. Diamond Hills Motel, Verna' Aviation, Sunset Sports Center an: Labrum Real Estate. Atwood arrive" in Vernal, Monday on transportatio provided by Vernal Aviation. t ' . . X 1 - . p. , , k . ' l I ' ' A SPLASH takes place as Vernal Swim Team member, Yvonne Heaps, enters the water for backstroke competition. |