Comments on: It’s a brutal sport

by: Ultimate Baseball Resources Updated

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:40:41 +0000

[…] It�s a brutal sport One one-hundredth. Faster than you can snap your fingers. Faster than you can start and stop a stopwatch (even if you cheat and hit the button against your knee instead of using your thumb). Faster than you can blink your eye. That�s what I missed the Olympic Team by. But as I […] […]

by: JD Lasica

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:45:06 +0000

Wow, that was heartbreaking.

Tara, you’re obviously super-talented, and not just in the pool. You’re a very good writer! Have you thought about asking your rep to contact NBC Sports? I think you’d bring a great perspective as a special correspondent both on camera and in an Olympics blog.

Congrats on your engagement, great time for you …

by: Maggie50free

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:23:21 +0000

Tara Kirk is still my hero today as much as she was last week, last month, last year! A true inspiration in how she leads her life both in and out of the pool. If I ever were to get into the Olympics and someone asked me who it was that brought me into this sport, inspired me to work hard ( in school as well) and who I could give credit to….it would be Tara! And I would proudly say her name. Thank you Tara Kirk……

by: Susanne in Denmark

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:47:09 +0000

Hi Tara,
Honestly…. I didn’t know anything about you or even your name before I read your BLOG “It’s a brutal Sport”.
What stroke me is the total honesty in your text, and I think I’ll translate it to Danish, and let my son and maybe some other swimmers read it.
Cause you’re right Swimming is a very brutal sport …. but it’s worth it

Hope to see you swim on the TV some day.

Love Susanne, Denmark

by: Dania Douglas

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:41:42 +0000

Tara,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and emotions at such a difficult time. It made me think at a time when I was really struggling myself. You’re an amazing swimmer & an amazing person. Thank you for having the strength to share that & to impact by life by doing so. I’d love to tell you to stay positive, but as a former athlete, I often found that such words often sounded hollow when I had fallen short of a really important goal. None the less, I do hope that you know how much we are all rooting for you.

by: afanofyours

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:01:19 +0000

Tara,
I love watching you swim! I hope you continue to pursue what makes you happy. I hope to see and hear more of you in future competitions as well. I know you can do anything. One event, one second, does not define who you are. You did your best and I know that you will continue to do your best. So many people can only imagine being at the level swimmer that you are. You make Washington and so, so many people proud of you!
~Fellow Northwest Gal

by: rjeffa2001

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:26:30 +0000

Tara

I remember working with you when you were 16. You came in to our clinic to spend extra training time. I new then that your life would be one success after another. It has been and will continue to be so. As an adult, you don’t run across many kids that inspire you to strive. But I did!
Jeff

by: KarenT

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:07:45 +0000

Tara,
You have so many fans and all of our hearts broke along with yours. We all have had disappointments, but probably none of this magnitude. So words are hard to find……….words that would comfort you or motivate you or let you know how much you have been loved and admired. Words that would tell you that you have role modeled what all of us should aspire to. But I do know that I can say thank you, Tara. Thank you for being a positive part of all of our lives.
Karen Triplett

by: yr2008x

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:01:26 +0000

Hi Tara,

I am a former swimmer, once deeply engrossed in the sport, but now not so much. I too can contest to the “brutality” of the sport. *Sigh* Athletics are a painful thing to be a part of, physically, but more so emotionally.

I was casually looking at the US Olympic Trials results this week. I’ve followed your career in some shape or form since your Stanford days, whether it be spotting you on pages of results or actually seeing you swim (2004 SC World Championship!). I was disappointed to see what happened to you in the 100 LCM Breaststroke. Unfortunately, so many people are missing out on what could have been a reality for them and that makes me sad inside for them. I saw that you swam the 200 Breaststroke today, which was awesome. I’m sure you were hoping for better, but to have tried speaks volumes by itself.

I know things did not work out the way you had hoped, planned, dreamed, or wanted, but I hope that you don’t let this event shortchange all that you have accomplished over your career. One thing that you should be esp. proud of is the fact that you transitioned from being an awesome SC swimming to an amazing LC swimmer. I remember when the 2004 Olympics were rolling around following your graduation from Stanford that you were saying that was one of your goals. Best of luck to you. =)

by: andrea@andreajwalker

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:29:30 +0000

Tara,
don’t give up. You owe it to yourself to swim the 200, to be there, after all the hard work, no matter what happens. I am so sorry about the .01 loss, it must hurt so much. I always hear that its this type of experience that gives you strength and wisdom, but that’s not much consolation now. I do think it says so much more about who we are how we handle the hard experiences, not the triumphs; that is why I hope you can hold your head up high, be so proud of the amazing things you have done, and go out there and give it your all on the 200.