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Sports

Marple Newtown Swim Team's Special Olympian Is a Champion In Water

Even though Marple Newtown Swim Team didn't sport a winning record this summer, Ron Nagel has won the hearts of his team, his spectators and even his opponents.

BROOMALL–Ron Nagel starts each summer morning working out with 20 to 25 other teenagers as a member of the Marple Newtown Swim Team for in Broomall. He arrives each day with his ear phones in, his sweatshirt hood up, and a huge smile on his face. He's almost always the first one in the pool.

The team forgets the fact that Nagel's a Special Olympian wth Down's Syndrome—to them, he's just another swimmer trying to find his way. Ron trains daily for an hour and a half, not always making all the drills and practice sets, but never failing to try. Day by day, year after year since he was  5 years old, Nagel gives it his all.

This summer, as a senior, Nagel's events have doubled in distance. He now has to do four lengths of the pool (100 yards total) to compete. Ron chose the 100-yard butterfly event, a tough event.

"In our first meet of the season," said swim coach Henny Hiemenz, "I was prepared to swim him as an exhibition swimmer and have him do half the distance to ease him into it. 'Oh no,' he said, 'I can do the whole thing'; so off he went. At the end of 50 yards, I placed myself to face him as he came to the wall, just in case he wanted to stop. He smiled at me, turned and continued on."

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Nagel finished almost two minutes behind the other kids. He had captured the hearts of the 200 swimmers from both teams, parents, grandparents, and everyone around the pool. In unison, his team
and the opposing team were one–all cheering for, clapping for Nagel, and experiencing the joy of someone fulfilling his dreams. Times didn't
matter, teams didn't matter.

And so it went for every swim meet this summer.

"Everyone knew that at a certain point, Ron would perform and the goosebumps would run down our spines," said Himenez. "As a team, we lost every meet, but Ron won the hearts of every person who witnessed his strength, determination, and desire to be the best that he could be."

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Though Himenez coaches Nagel, it's Nagel who is coaching him.

"If only we all had that same inner strength and could enjoy the small successes that we have each day to the fullest," said Himenez. "To know and work with Ron and youngsters like him is something that we should all treasure. Mr. and Mrs. Nagel have raised a champion."

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