by Emily Castillo
Seven brave TWIM swimmers took on the Bellevue Masters Mile this year: Jonathan Banks, Wendy Hoffman, Paul McGhee, Steven Schwartz, Katy Stuart, Dan Underbrink, and me—Emily Castillo. It was an incredible day of fast swimming, cheering, and community spirit at the beautiful Bellevue Club. From start to finish, the energy was high and the swims were inspiring.
We had the privilege of watching three extraordinary swimmers set multiple records during their swims:
- Steve Peterson set PNA records in the 200, 400, 800, and 1500
- Colette Crabbe set OMS and Northwest Zone records in the 200, 400, 800, and 1500
- Rick Colella set WORLD, USMS, NW Zone, and PNA records across the 200, 400, 800, and 1500
It was inspiring to watch these incredible swims!
This meet was extra special for me because it was my first time racing a 1500. Leading up to the race, I did what any sensible swimmer does: I asked my teammates for pacing wisdom.
The responses… varied. Maoz Alsberg began with: “Go all out and then accelerate!”
He later amended this to: “Don’t start too fast, but also don’t start too slow.” Very helpful. Thank you, Maoz.
Colleen Wahlstrom’s advice was clear: “Start slower than you think you need to.” Carl Haynie agreed and suggested treating the first few hundred as a warm-up.
My new friend Larry Hile took a more philosophical approach, advising me to “swim with gratitude,” focus on the joy, and remember why I do this. Lovely advice that I ignored completely. I spent most of my swim calculating how much longer I had left.
But in the days before and after the race, I really did reflect on how lucky I am to have this team. After Katy and I committed to the 1500 challenge, Coach Laurie and Coach Kathy write distance sets into our TWIM workouts. All the Sammamish TWIM swimmers suffered—I mean powered—through those sets right alongside us, without a single complaint.
On race day, Atsuko Takahashi gave up her Sunday afternoon to count for me. Carl Haynie, Colleen Wahlstrom, and Mary Underbrink did the same, counting for swimmers and lending support where needed. That kind of generosity is just who TWIM is.
The meet wouldn’t have been possible without an amazing crew of officials and volunteers.
Thank you to Meet Director Sally Dillon; officials Dave Baer, Dick Chapman, Lorraine Masse, and Dave Warren;and to Susan Pappalardo and her team of timers. Their time and attention created the joyful atmosphere that made the day so special.
The Bellevue Masters Mile was a day full of great swims—by our TWIM teammates, by our friends from across the region, and by a few legendary athletes breaking records left and right. It was also a day that reminded me how lucky I am to be part of a team that supports one another so wholeheartedly, whether it’s through training sets, pacing tips, or showing up to count laps. TWIM really is something special.
