As the American swimming community is still in mourning over the loss last week of Dynamo Swim Club and anointed 2017 Junior Worlds team head coach Jason Turcotte, one of his former swimmers is working to give the entire country the chance to remember him.
University of Tennessee sophomore-to-be Madison Graham, who swam for Turcotte at the Dynamo Swim Club, has reached out to gather memories that she will assemble into a book and present to Jason’s wife and children. In Graham’s word, the project is an “effort to further illustrate to them the profound impact he had on so many around him- especially his swimmers.
See Graham’s letter below:
Dear Dynamo family, swimming community, and friends of the Turcotte family,
My name is Madison Graham, a Dynamo Swim Club alumna. I had the incredible opportunity to swim for Jason Turcotte for 4 years, and am now a rising sophomore swimming at the University of Tennessee.
In order to honor the legacy he has left, I am organizing a project. I invite current and past swimmers, coaches, friends, etc. to write a letter to Jason, or sharing your appreciation, thanks, or information you wish you could have shared before his unexpected passing. These letters will be put together in a book and given to his wife and kids, in effort to further illustrate to them the profound impact he had on so many around him- especially his swimmers.
He dedicated so much time to the sport of swimming and to Dynamo, and these letters would be another collection of memories that his kids can refer to while they grow up, as lasting reminder that their dad was an amazing person, role model to many, and father. This book will be given on behalf of the current Senior 1 group at Dynamo, but anyone is invited to participate. Please include your name somewhere in the letter, as well as any other personal information or identification you feel would be important to share(your coaching position, job, school, etc). If you are interested, please send me a typed, Word document copy of your letter by May 25th. Lastly, please share this with anyone you think would be interested in participating.
Submissions can be emailed to [email protected]
What a lovely idea.