Five U.S. Swimming National Team Members Visit Pediatric Patients

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – National Team members Elizabeth Beisel (Saunderstown, R.I.), Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.), Conor Dwyer (Winnetka, Ill.), Michael McBroom (The Woodlands, Texas) and Michael Weiss (Reno, Nev.) took a break from their rigorous training schedule at the Olympic Training Center to make a special visit to the pediatric ward of UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs, Colo. last Thursday.

During their visit the athletes played games, painted pictures and presented each kid with Joy Jars from the Jessie Rees Foundation as a part of their Never Ever Give Up campaign. Never Ever Give Up (NEGU) was founded in honor of 12-year-old Jessie Rees, who lost her battle with cancer in January 2012. The Joy Jars are filled with goodies including crayons, games and their own gold medals for their bravery to bring smiles to critically ill kids.

Even though the Olympians visit was short, it was enough to lift the spirits of the patients and their parents.

“All day (Mia) was sad just lying in bed and when the hospital staff told her Olympians were coming she so happy and excited. She enjoyed her time playing with them,” said Rey Flores, father of 4-year old Mia who is a patient at UCHealth Memorial Hospital.

“Being able to walk into a room and light someone’s face up like that is one of the best feelings in the world,” said Olympian Elizabeth Beisel. “It’s great to give back and see them happy.”

The National Teamers will compete this summer for a spot on the 2016 Olympic Team but they recognize these kids are fighting a much bigger war.

“Every time I’m here for a long period of time I like to come hang out with the kids and kind of give back,” said Olympic gold medalist Conor Dwyer. “They’re in their own battle, we’re in our battle over there, theirs is way harder and it’s just good to come and hang out with them.”

This appearance is part of USA Swimming’s Athlete Partnership Program. The program is a platform for National Team swimmers to encourage kids and adults to take up the sport as a healthy and positive activity. These appearances directly promote the sport and the healthy lifestyle it represents. To find more information about how to get started in the sport, visit SwimToday.org.

About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.

Swimming news courtesy of USA Swimming.