McClain Hermes - (Author)

Swimming Without the Black Line: How Blind Athletes Adapt This article from the Swimming World archive, written by Paralympian McClain Hermes, details the approaches used by visually impaired swimmers. By McClain Hermes, Swimming World Intern When I began swimming at the age of four, I told my paren...

Examining The Differences Between Competition at the Paralympics and Olympics Although the Olympic and Paralympic Games are parallel at their core, there are inherent differences between these pinnacle competitions. Here are some things you may notice on the Para pool deck compared to the Olympic po...

Retirement Decision Is Not Something to Take Lightly; Kristy Kowal Provides Insight Have you ever wondered what happens when it is time to hang up the swimsuit and take off the cap and goggles for the last time? No more 5 a.m. wakeup calls for an early morning practice. No more holidays and weekends...

Japan's Keiichi Kimura Eager to Mine Gold on Home Soil at Paralympic Games As the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, Japan’s “Golden Boy” Keiichi Kimura is hard at work preparing to compete in front of a home crowd, and he is hungry for a gold medal. Kimura, who started swimming at 10 year...

10 Things a Guide Dog Thinks During Swim Practice Hi, my name is Blake The Guide Dog. My mom is McClain Hermes and her eyes do not work very well. That’s why I am here. I am her eyes and I guide her around trying not to run her into things. She does this thing called swimming and, apparently, she’s ...

Remembering Dual-Sport Paralympian Curtis Lovejoy The man. The myth. The legend. An inspiration to all. Curtis Lovejoy, or better known as “C-Love,” a five-time Paralympian and dual-sport athlete recently passed away at 63 years old. Only weeks after retiring from Paralympic swimming and fencing, Lo...

Determination Led Abby Gase To Open the Door for Adaptive Swimming in Ohio Abby Gase rolled up to the blocks before the 100 backstroke. She looked at the other adaptive swimmers on either side of her and smiled, knowing she had helped change history. For the first time in Ohio High School Athletic A...

From Rivals to Training Partners to an Unwavering Friendship As Brian Houston once stated: “Don't be fooled into thinking that you have the capacity to achieve your best on your own. A training partner in the gym is a great asset because when you think you have reached your limit, there is someone w...

With Tokyo Games Uncertain, Steve Lundquist Recalls His 1980 Experience Early one morning in 1980, Southern Methodist University freshman swimmer Steve Lundquist walked into practice at 5 a.m., and instead of greeting swimmers, he encountered a barrage of news reporters. “I remember going to the nat...

Have you ever heard the proverb, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again?" This proverb hails from the American educator Thomas H. Palmer, in his work, Teacher's Manual. The entire proverb reads: “'Tis a lesson you should heed, Try, try again. If at first you don't succeed, Try, try again.” I...

The Support of a Teammate Cannot Be Overestimated Do you find it ironic that a blind journalist uses a quote by Helen Keller to begin an article? Well, consider this, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller. No, do not worry, I am not going to use this particular quot...

How a Simple Conversation Began a New Wave of Training Back in 2007, Philip Scholz, a high school senior at the time, walked into Loyola University of Maryland’s head coach Brian Loeffler’s office. Scholz was desperate for an opportunity to swim. As a blind athlete he was searching for a coach to gi...

The Beautiful Sacrifices of a Swim Mom My friends and family always seem to laugh when I say that I can count my best friends on one hand. My dog, my mom... yes, my mom is on that list. My mom, Carmen, is one of my best friends in the whole world. She means so much to me. She and the rest of my fami...

How Self-Confidence Can Boost An Athlete's Performance “Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage and confidence in the doing.” -Teddy Roosevelt Swimmers are some of the toughest competitors in the world. Even though they may look strong and muscular on the outside, often on the inside, ...