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George at the Mexico Swim Clinic.
(This article was written by George's coach, Jimmy Thompson, and published in the 1955 Hamilton Aquatic Club Christmas Carnival Program)

George Park, one of Canada's outstanding swimming stars who has, over the years, graduated step by step from the Hamilton Aquatic Club's Learn-to-Swim Club, into the file of international top bracket competition, and to-day is recognized as one who can carry Canada's name into the world's fastest competition. This young stalwart of the fine Hamilton Police Department, is of exemplary character and fine sporting instincts and typifies the true meaning of Canadian youth, and his achievements in the swimming annals of Canada are ideals that the youth of our city look upon in admiration and pride.

George's career has not always been one of a champion. Many years of training and perseverance has brought about this rise to athletic prominence, and this past two years has seen him come into his just desserts. In 1954 he won the 110 yards Dominion Freestyle title at Vancouver and established a new record, then came the British Empire Games and he was selected to carry Canada's colours. His performance in every event he participated in was an outstanding effort, winning points for Canada's swim team.

Next came George's biggest step into the field of world prominence as he was selected to represent Canada at the Pan-American Games in Mexico City in March, 1955. This young Canadian swimmer entered the final of the 100 metres Freestyle event and his performance was just surpassed by the United States star, Clark Scholes, who holds the world's Olympic Championship for this event. Park finished in second place and although beaten by the world's fastest swimmer, he felt that if given another opportunity he could overcome Schole's speed, and this he did upon the second meeting of these two swimming greats, and on July of this year, at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Championship meet, George Park defeated the champion over the 100 metres and created a new pool record for the event before a vast crowd of American spectators and swim authorities who had never seen Scholes beaten in international competition before. Park's other achievements in 1955 were the winning effort he displayed at Montreal to defeat the Americans in the Canadian Championships, and also the establishing of a new Canadian Record for the 100 yard Freestyle and also two new Butterfly records, and with him just now reaching his prime Hamilton can stand assured that maybe it will have a world's swimming title holder on its doorstep.

When I was young, I swam every event and was considered a middle distance swimmer. In 1952, at age 19, I was sick (had mono). I was bed ridden for 6 weeks. I was out of bed for a couple of weeks and swam in the olympic trials. The first event I was entered in was the 440. At 200 yards, I went unconcious and was pulled out of the pool, that was it for the 1952 olympics and no more distance swimming for a long time. My work outs after that comprised of 500 yards twice a day plus waterpolo practice & games and swim meets on weekends.

I represented Canada in the 1954 Commonwealth games and swam the 110 yards placing 4th, and second in three relays. After the 54 games I retired from competition and only played water polo. In Feb 1955 my coach called me and told me I was selected to represent Canada in the Pan Am Games in Mexico, the selection was made on past preformances. I started training but was swimming very badly, I could not get my time below one min. for 100 yards (stinko). I decided not to go but the next day at a time trial I did a 51 second 100 time trial. I decided to go. It worked out fine I came second in the Pan Am games, just touched out by Clarke Scholes the 1952 Olympic Champion.

In 1956 Melbourne Olympic pool. When they constructed this pool they forgot to mark the bottom of the swim pool with the "T" to warn the approach of the turn. They took lead weighted black rubber pads and placed them on the bottom of the pool. My times were very good and I figured I would be in the top three, if not first.

Three days before the heats I was taken to the hospital with a temperature of 1:04 which stayed with me for two days. It was the first time I ever prayed for god to let me live. I got out of the hospital and went to the trials. I got on the starting block. When the gun went off I went to the front ahead of Gary Chapman from Australia. As I approached the turn I saw the marker on the bottom of the pool figuring two more strokes and turn. One stroke and I went head first into the wall (the rubber marker on my lane had been moved three feet closer than it should have been) I was dazed and came off the wall last behind Ron Roberts of Great Britain. I tried as hard as I could and I got back into 4th for the heat.

I was 1 tenth of a second behind the last qualifier. So did not make it past the heats. The day of the final I swam 110 meter swim in another pool and was faster than the winner.

Was it bad luck or did someone move the pad. Guess what that's the breaks. I have hated that pool eversince and was happy when it was torn down.
 

 

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SWIMMING THE NORTHUBERLAND STRAITS only 9 miles...

I swam from Cape Tormintine to Borden Prince Edward Island, four major rip tides and thousands of jelly fish, the toughest nine miles I had ever raced.

The jelly fish there are a variety that sting but are not as bad as some others I have experienced. They were in patches about 50 yards across and 100 yards in length and I went through several of these patches. I was stung all over my body.

Half way through the race due to the stings I started seeing things. Every time I looked at the side of my attending boat I saw bacon and eggs . The most disappointing thing about this swim was as I walked out of the water after finishing, some one walked up to me and handed me a dry tastless ham sandwich, but all I wanted was the bacon and eggs that I saw on the side of the boat.

After the race was over and the prize money was given out, I was on the search for a restaurant that would make me bacon and eggs and found one who did. For about a week after that when swimming I could see jelly fish tenicales whenever my face was in the water.... even though I was swimming in lake Ontario - no jelly fish there just lamprey eels.


SWIMMING THE SAGUENAY RIVER (1964) 28 miles

The race started in Chicoutimi, Quebec, just as the full 22 ft tide was in. We covered the first 20 miles in 2 1/2 hrs and arrived at the entry to the Bai de Ha Ha just as the tide was coming out of the bay.

George Mazadra, the great Argentinian marathon swimmer, called this spot "coffee break point" because he said "no one is going anywhere for a few hours anyway!" We were swimming against the full force of the tide.

As the story goes...Champlain, on his quest for a passage to the east (China) while travelling along the St. Lawrence, and Saguenay Rivers found himself in the middle of a bay and he exclaimed "Ha Ha une Baie"! From then on, it has been known as the Bay de Ha Ha.

I selected a course 200 yds off shore which allowed me to make very gradual headway, covering 1/4 mile in about 1 hr. Ed Forsby and I finally made the break out into the Bay ahead of the others - no one else got around the corner, through the tidal waters and into the bay. It took the rest of the field two more hours to get through the heavy going.

Ed was exhausted, and I was finally able to pull away from him. I was hugging the shore line fighting the tide until I was three miles from the end of the race. I then swam into the middle of the Bay to the finish line at Port Alfred.

It nearly ended my career as a marathon swimmer - I had frayed the tendons in both arms.

I finished in 9 hrs. 18 min. The second place finisher, Armond Cloutier, 11 hrs. 18 min.
This race had only six finishers, the rest were pulled from the water after 13 1/2 hrs.

It was a tough swim for me, and I was hurting. The story in the french language newspaper Le Presse, said "TOM PARK WINS THE SAGUENAY MARATHON" and the story went on to tell how my brother Tom came out of retirement and won the race. The other paper the Le Matin wrote the story as it really happened and called me the "SEA WOLF" a name which stayed with me in all the Candian french language newspapers from then on.




I swam in a thirty hr. marathon in Montreal. The course was 1/3 of a mile around and around. It was relay style with two swimmers on a team. My Partner was Billy Barton from Florida USA. We changed every lap which took us a little over 7 min.

Half way through the night, Billy could no longer swim because of the cold. I then started to do all the laps. I had tried eating chocolate, glucose powder mixed with tang, and chicken, but nothing seemed to bring my energy level up. I was exhausted after about 15 more laps around the course. My coach asked Billy if he could go in to relieve me. Billy then went in for two laps. I went to the rest tent to lay down.

A friend of mine who owned Pepi's Pizza, passed by and asked how I was doing. I told him I wasn't feeling too well. Pepi happened to be carrying the largest pizza I had ever seen. He was delivering it to some of the other teams' coaches.

He offered me the pizza, and I devoured it. When it was gone I went back in the water. It was strange I had been ready to quit before I took my break but after the pizza I felt like super man. I never swam better.

After the sun came up, Billy was able to continue doing his laps.

The usual Marathon swims were 10 miles to 28 miles. I have seen other swimmers eating bananas, whole chickens, soup, dates, etc while they were swimming. During the races I stuck to glucose and a tang mixture.

You can read about these Marathon races in Conrad Wennenberg's book Wind Waves and Su

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