On July 12 – my birthday, Team USA was at the pool competing in the third day of the swimming competition. I remember sitting in the warmdown pool after the 200m free and hearing the news. It was the first successful suicide attack in Israel in many months, and it had occured less than 5 minutes from our hotel.

I was neither shocked nor upset at the news. Maybe because part of me expected something like this to happen, but hoped it would not. It struck me that back in the United States, life would have stopped due to this type of incident, but yet here it was woven into the fabric of their lives. So common that most did not even blink, and went about their lives as normal.

The news travelled slowly as we all finished our races, and many felt the need to call their parents to let them know that they were ok. Colleen had not seen the news, so when I reached her on the phone it was a surprise. As a team, we took a page out of the Israeli’s book and went on with our competition and our lives. While scary that it happened so close to us, it could not change our attitudes nor our goals.

Four days after the attacks we visited with two girls who were injured in the attacks. To see these girls smiling, days after being within 6 feet of a suicide bomber, was uplifting. Their spirit did not waver even with the injuries they had sustained. It was a miracle that either girl survived and an experience I will not soon forget.

* I wanted to add a link to Seth Baron’s thoughts on the visit published on SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.