By Zach Breeding, Swimming World College Intern
The human heart is a funny and miraculous thing. It is the only organ which can be relied on by most people to work without fail, all day every day. Many take this consistency for granted; in fact, about 1% of people in the world do not have this luxury as they are born with a Congenital Heart Defect. And while it is true that people who suffer from these defects are living longer and healthier lives than ever before, their ability to perform basic tasks is still inhibited. An even greater number of people, 610,000, die every year from heart related disease. And these numbers are only increasing year after year
It is no secret that America has a heart problem, one that is becoming ever more prevalent in our society as its members are less and less inclined toward healthy activities. The root of this issue can be seen in the culture we have established, where a family meal is seen as picking up food from the nearest fast food restaurant and regular exercise has become an anomaly. So when there exists an outlier in our culture, one who displays a behavior worthy of emulation which can inspire others in similar situations towards healthier decisions, they should receive the spotlight they deserve.
This outlier which I speak so highly of is 73-year-old Jerome Smith of Los Angeles, California. In 2009 Jerome suffered a hear attack. Smith went three minutes without a pulse and has since only been able to use his heart at 34% of its previous capability. This has not stopped him, however, from attending regular swimming workouts with his Southern California Aquatics Masters Team. In fact, just a week after suffering from his heart attack Jerome had already returned to his normal schedule of 3-4 practices a week and is planing on competing in his first meet in over fifteen years in the near future.
What this continued physical activity, prior to and after the heart attack, means for Jerome is almost certainly a longer life. According to a Washington post article, which cited a British Journal of Medicine study, those who swim consistently reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular related causes by 41%. This is due to the fact that swimming is an undeniably physically demanding sport. In a 2015 interview with Elizabeth Artley of the Culver City Times, Jerome said of the sport “It’s the best exercise in the world. I notice clearly the blood pumping through my system after a workout”.
Jerome’s persistence through these trials and his dedication to practice almost everyday has already inspired many people to hop into the pool and do their part in facing Americas heart problem. Because the human heart does not just keep us on our feet with its incessant beating. The heart longs for things to inspire it. And in Jerome Smith we have perhaps found the perfect fulfillment of this desire.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
Very inspiring. Nice work Zach!