‘The Fred’ Meet Included A Bonus Commitment For Teen Swimmer Gabi Farinas

The Fred Lamback Para Open Series is a highlight on many athletes’ calendars because of its blend of spirited competition, supportive atmosphere and the chance to connect with fellow Para swimmers of all ages and experience levels.

For one swimmer, this year’s trip to Georgia for the annual meet ended in something even greater than medals — a verbal commitment to swim at a college that was at the top of her list.

High school senior Gabi Farinas combined her early October trip to Atlanta for “The Fred” with a visit to Emory University, where she met with swimming and diving coach Jon Howell and toured the facilities. She was offered a spot on the team soon after, marking a new and exciting chapter in both her swimming and academic careers.

“They have so many great opportunities,” said Farinas, a native of Bellevue, Washington, who was born with bilateral clubfoot and has undergone numerous surgeries on both ankles. “He was talking about resources and strength training and different swim programs and how I could do a sprint program one day then IM or distance program the next to get all the events in for Para. Then he took us outside and said all your freshman classes will be here, your dorm will be right here, the dining hall is right here, and I’m like, ‘I can actually get around at this school and not have a problem.’

“It all just clicked and made sense.”

After her visit, Farinas turned her focus to the Fred, on Oct. 11-12, where she earned wins in the 50-meter freestyle S10, 100-meter backstroke S10, 100-meter freestyle S10 and 100-meter breaststroke SB9. Though the times weren’t personal bests, the performances meant a lot. Farinas is still rebuilding after shoulder surgery kept her out of full training for nearly a year.

“I was a little nervous entering the Fred meet,” she said. “It’s hard going into a meet knowing it’s not going to be your best races, but it worked out with (visiting) Emory and to get a good marker of where I am. I think that’s a big reason why (Emory) wanted to take me, is that I have potential, I have room to improve, and starting out now there’s so much to look forward to with all their resources. So at (the Fred) I didn’t drop any time, but it was close to some of my best swims. I’m excited to see where I am, and I’m really looking forward to next year.”

One of Farinas’ favorite parts of the Fred is its atmosphere of encouragement. Volunteers make handmade “good luck” signs for each competitor and display them on the wall opposite the scoreboard, and the athletes get to take them home at the end. She also likes getting to see the younger swimmers because it reminds her of when she was first starting out.

McKenzie Coan agrees.

Although the four-time Paralympian loved seeing national team teammates such as Lawrence Sapp, who won a pair of freestyle events in S14, and to get her own victories in the 200-meter freestyle and 50-meter backstroke S7 events, one of Coan’s highlights from the weekend was meeting a 10-year-old swimmer from Wake, Virginia, by the name of Caroline Entsminger. The two share not only a passion for swimming but also the same diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta.

“We both have brittle bone disease, and she was just a spitfire,” Coan, a seven-time Paralympic medalist, said. “She was an awesome swimmer and, to be honest, she reminded me a lot of myself. We swam the 200-meter freestyle with each other, it was just us in our heat, and it felt like a very full circle moment because what I want is to inspire and encourage the next generation, and especially when it’s someone with my condition, to show them that they can go out and do the same thing. It got at my heart, I tell you that. I saw a lot of myself in Caroline, so that was very cool.”

The Fred is special for Coan. Lamback was her first Para swim coach, and she credits him for having the career she does.

“I get emotional,” she said. “He’s an incredible person and responsible for a lot of Paralympians’ careers.”

There’s also now a family connection. Coan’s mother, Teresa Coan, has served as the meet director for the last three years.

“I love when I come on the pool deck at the Fred and see all the new and rising faces of Para swimming, and I love going up to them and asking if they’re having fun and their faces just light up,” McKenzie Coan said. “My mom puts on events like ice cream socials, or this year it was a hot dog social, just for a chance to interact with other swimmers you might not know. And she brings in fun people to announce and it’s just a really light, fun time and we get to do what we love and swim, so it’s extra special for me.”

Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic and Paralympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to USParaSwimming.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.