Listen HereBy: Olivia Wile
Twitter: o_wile
Email: wileo@findlay.edu
While most of campus was asleep on the morning Tuesday, Nov. 13, the University of Findlay men’s and women’s swim teams were up swimming for a cause.
The Sink Natatorium was full of life at 5:30 a.m. as the team completed the 13th annual Ted Mullin “Leave it in the Pool” Hour of Power Relay for Sarcoma Research.
Junior Julia Snell explains the annual event is one that she thinks leaves a big impact on the swim community.
“I think it’s for a great cause,” said Snell. “I think it’s very influential because it spreads awareness about cancer in the swim world.”
On Nov. 7, 2006, the DIII Carleton College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams established the Hour of Power in memory of Ted Mullin. Earlier that year on Sept. 3, their teammate died from a rare form of cancer called sarcoma.
The event consists of an hour of all-out sprint swimming in relay fashion, using any stroke, whether freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, or butterfly. All lanes must stay on the same lap, which also requires teams to work together to stay even.
From bringing awareness to an important cause, to bringing his team together, junior Trent Williams says the event has many benefits.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the team to bond and a great cause for something much bigger than us.”
With this being her fourth time completing the Hour of Power, senior Colleen Hoke agrees with Williams.
“It’s nice that we all get to practice together since we usually swim in different practices. Today my relay was with people I don’t train with, so it was fun.”
She also says it is fun to see her coach so passionate about something larger than their team.
“He gets really pumped for donations, volunteering and bringing awareness to stuff like this,” explained Hoke. “I think it’s cool we get to do it each year.”
In the first ever Hour of Power, 12 colleges, one high school and two club teams participated. Today, the numbers are much larger. From 15 teams to now over 170 teams and 8,000 participating athletes, the Hour of Power has raised over $500,000 for the Ted Mullin Fund in support of sarcoma research at the University of Chicago Medicine.
Snell believes Mullin would be very excited to see swim teams throughout the country coming together in his memory and to support cancer research.
“I think he would be proud of the swim community and how we all come together as a family.”
For more information about Ted Mullin Foundation and the Hour of Power visit http://tedmullinfund.org/history.html.
