Evening star., 1947-02-16
| lust Between
Yourselves
BY Philip H. Love.

The two boys in the picture at the
left learned to swim when they were
only 4 years old, the girl when
she was 5. That impresses me
considerably-perhaps because, at 4
and S, I thought swimming almost
as difficult as flying. It wasn't until
7 was IL or IL that dared to dis
card my water-wings.
But boys and girls are different
nowadays. Take the trio pictured
as examples: Mark Blackburn, 9, of
1902 Loughborough place, Chevy
Chase, Md; Karen Gail ONeill, II,
Of 2342 South Meade street. Airing
ton, and Douglas Warren Tindal, II,
of 1641 Wisconsin avenue NV.
They are but three Of the dozen
members Of the junior team of the
Ambassador Hotel Swimming Club.
The swimmers range from to IL
in age, and they compete in about
II meets a year, mostly in Balti-
more and the Carolinas apparently
for want Of competition here). So
far, they've won two meets from
the Baltimore Knights of Columbus
juniors, one in the Monumental
City and the other here. Their first
really big contest is coming, how
ever-the Ambassador Invitational
next month.
Mark, son of Comdr. John Thomas
Blackburn, former water poloist at
the Naval Academy, attends Chevy
Chase Elementary School and has
been swimming in competition about
six months. His hobbies are wres-
Ting and collecting postage stamps.
Karen's father, now captain in
Navy aviation, also is former Ma
val Academy water poloist. She at
tends Hume School, Arlington, and
has been swimming in competition
about three months. Her hobbies are
stamps and dolls.
Douglas, a pupil Of Jackson School,
Is veteran compared to Mark and
Karen; he has been swimming COM
petitively for two years. with both
the Shoreham Hotel and the Boys
Club teams. According to Bill Arm
strong, the Ambassador coach, he
is IAN outstanding basket ball player
with the Boys Club now" His hob
bies are basket ball and football.
X Y X
Herring Run, then in the suburbs
of Baltimore (the city has since ex-
panded and taken it in as part Of
Herring Run Park, was the scene
of my first attempts at swimming.
1t was long hike from my neigh
borhood (Govans), but a group Of
us made it several times week in
summer. We built fire, roasted
potatoes and swan in the pool"
1t wasn't pool really-just a deep
part of the stream, where we had
damned it with logs, twigs, stones,
mud and sod. I think I might have
learned to swim right then and
there if one of the older boys hadn't
picked me up and thrown me into
the deepest part of the run on my
first visit. After that, was water
shy.
When Ismoved into the city, I
swan. in Patterson Park Pool. With
my water wings, was learning to
swim rather satisfactorily, thought.
But one day, when I was summing
myself on one of the RATS, a smart
alec lifeguard suddenly gathered
me into his arms and tossed me
into about six feet Of water. It was
months before I recovered from
that terrifying experience.
Then 7 joined a swimming class
at Patterson. Everything went fine
until the instructor ordered us to
put our heads under water. The
only times my head had been under
water were when I had been thrown
in, and each time I'd nearly choked
to death. While the instructor
wasn't looking, I sneaked away.
But I didn't give up trying to
learn to swim. I joined the Lone
Scouts, and they sent me a book
Of swimming instructions. I prac-
ticed the various strokes, and also
the breathing exercises, on piano
stool in my living room until I felt
qualified to try them in the water.
Then I waded out toward the
deep part Of the Patterson pool and
started swimming. You had to swim
through narrow channel, under
the eye of a guard; II he didn't
think you could swim well enough
he ordered you back. I made It.
But I wasn't 4 or S. I was
II or Il. And that's why I doff my
water wings to Mark, Karen, Doug
las and the Ambassador Clubs
other midget swimmers.
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