Some folks who get into the swim of things
When I think of outstanding American swimmers Mark Spitz instantly comes to mind.
Of the current outstanding Olympic swimming aspirants my head-over-breast-stroke favorite is Katie Ledecky.
How could I not admire this gifted athlete since Katie happens to be the niece of my buddy Jon Ledecky, who just happens to be one of the two new owners of the New York Islanders?
But since Brazil-Olympiad is not on my immediate — nor long-range for that matter — agenda I have found two outstanding swimmers closer to home.
Matter of fact, these two super-worthies swim right down the road from my house. Specifically in West Shokan, at the Pete Tosi Memorial Pool in beloved Davis Park.
Olympians, they are not, but outstanding they are and I’ll tell you why.
Pat Tosi and Dr. (Not physician, Ph.D) George Szekely do things that no other swimmers that I know can accomplish.
Pat actually swims slower than me. Which automatically makes her the world’s slowest swimmer. Ah, you smile. Know that Pat does it with class and quiet élan.
The other virtue that makes her so outstanding is her endurance. I give up my swim run after 22 strokes; Pat makes a career out of her swim, going on and on and, very delightfully on; but I’ll get to her other swimming virtue later.
Pat patiently churns away in one swimming lane and in the next one we find Outstanding Olive Swimmer Number Two.
Dr. Szekely — otherwise known as Gorgeous George and easily my best audience for jokes — owns a marvelous aquatic story of another kind. Actually, it crosses two continents.
For starters, you should know that this modest man just happens to be one of our nation’s more acclaimed artists; as in painting and lecturing about art. Worldwide, he’s had 26 one-person shows and is senior prof of art at the U of Kentucky.
He also paints at his West Shokan chateau almost every single day but we’re not interested in that; we’re interested in George, the swimmer-posing-as-submarine.
Like Pat, George simply does not know how to get out of the pool. On any given day George will enter the water and not be seen for an hour. But even that is not the astonishing part; it’s what Dr. Szekely does under the water that’s amazing.
“While swimming,” the Gorgeous One tells me, “I construct my next day’s painting plans, “and I do not stop until my art construction under water is clear in my mind.”
Now you can see why his submariner act can go on for an hour — or day, or night. A native of Hungary, Dr. S learned how to swim in his native Hungary from where he escaped in 1959 as a youth. An unexpected dunk into the Danube River did the trick.
“My Aunt Ilona was a Holocaust survivor and she believed that survivors needed to teach the family to be fearless,” George explains. “So, she took me to a swimming spot on the Danube.
“After a few demonstrations about how to swim, she suddenly pushed me into the deep water.” Then, a pause: “Believe me, I learned very quickly.”
Don’t get me wrong, Dr. S does get out of the Tosi pool from time to time and when he does, his instinctive love of art and the pool scene neatly blend. George: “My favorite things about the pool when I get out of the water are the changing lights and mountain views. At Kentucky, I swim in an indoor pool under artificial lights. By contrast, at the Tosi Pool, I find it amazing just to be in the water outdoors.”
For Szekely, the U of Kentucky pool has a highpressure ambience because speedboat Olympic hopefuls share the same lane as George. Just the thought of him swimming with the champs inspires a chuckle. “At my age, 69, I’d rather swim with my peers in West Shokan!”
Like myself George will be closely watching Katie Ledecky compete in the Olympics, not to mention other aquatic aces. He’ll get inspiration from every one of them. “I love the Olympics,” the estimable Dr. S. concludes. “I find myself in front of the TV trying out new tricks on this old body. Shadowing the moves of great swimmers is like a master class for a violinist.”
Granted, Ms. Ledecky and cohorts are top of their line but none of them — and I do mean NONE of them — can swim and paint like our own George Szekely!
••• P.S. FROM PAT: Although Pat Tosi and The Maven don’t get to talk that much, when we do chat this lover of our mountain life always has something worthwhile to tell me. And since the subject is swimming, Pat makes a point about the Catskill Recreation Center in Arkville.
“My sister, Barbara, and I were at the Olive Pool one summer day and someone was talking about a pool in Arkville that’s open all year,” Pat recalls. “When the Olive Pool closed last September, we went to Arkville and discovered an absolute gem.
“In addition to a grand pool where the water temperature is a balmy 84 degrees at all times, there’s also a fitness gym with a variety of workout possibilities. In the afternoon, the pool is never crowded.”
Pat, who lives in Shokan, makes the postsummer trips to Arkville “three or four times a week” and finds the 30mile trip well worth the drive. “On the trip back and forth Barbara and I solve the problems of the world and enjoy the scenery that makes the Catskill Mountains so appealing in all seasons.”
P.S. Check out the Catskill Recreation Center website and you’ll realize that Pat is on to a good thing. No, make that an outstanding thing!