Farewell, Coach Jen

One of my Masters coaches, Jen Beckberger is leaving soon to go back to Canada. Since joining Sun Devil Masters, she has definitely been one of my favorite coaches and I am going to miss her. Jen is a very talented swimmer, who besides swimming for ASU, made it onto the Canadian Olympic team for 2008. She is currently training for the 2012 Olympic trials, and I am sure she will have no trouble making the team.

During last night's practice, I overhead a really funny exchange between her and a guy in the lane next to me. We're swimming long course and he was toughing out the fast 50s when he exclaimed to her "Jen! 24 seconds for a 50 (that's meters, folks). Are you kidding me? 24 seconds?!", to which Jen replied (as she pointed to herself with both hands) "You're looking at 19 years of swimming! 'Nuff said, I thought to myself. She has a great way of putting things in perspective. Since I only have a handful of cumulative years of swimming, I felt so much better about what I have been able to accomplish in the past year and a half.

I'll say it again, I'm going to miss you Jen! Notice the devil's horns and tail on her swim towel. :)

Jen, surrounded by a few of her fellow Sun Devil Masters (l-to-r: Sugarfree, Jen, Me, Kate)