Whenever and wherever I travel in swimming circles, I always look for BJ. My wife does as well. BJ's a social-networker of sorts, and in all the best ways.
BJ knows everyone in the Olympic world. She knows elite-swimming from the inside out. Aside from being a friend, she's a respected peer. I go to her for insider info and advice.
I didn't agree with BJ on the issue of the competitive suits. Since the world records started tumbling, I felt it was fantastic promotion for the sport. I knew my opinion was short-sighted and maybe a bit shallow. Media attention isn't worth it when it slowly eats away at your sport's credibility.
I now think FINA (swimming's international governing) should lock a governor on the technology. While I think BJ might like to go back a step and make the suits more traditional, I believe the technology should simply be more balanced among all the brands. We need a vibrant and very competitive swimsuit market. NIKE SWIM and ADIDAS made noises about backing away or even leaving the competitive swimsuit industry. That would be devastating to athletes who depend on swimwear contracts to support their training. (To a degree swimmers have already suffered. There's already been some real economic damage.)
I can't express enough how difficult it is, outside of an Olympic year, for elite-swimmers to generate money. Elite-swimmers (other than the usual suspects like Phelps, Torres or Lochte) are dependent on USA Swimming (thankfully the best and most supportive Olympic sports governing body). In sum, I'd like to see the athletes who are out of the medal-hunt, those getting 5th through 25th place, be able to eat, sleep and train without any worries. The first step in making that happen is having a diverse and competitive swimsuit market.
I know my opinion's still narrow. I know it's very biased. I can't help it. I care about elite-swimmers, especially the ones who fight and struggle, but fall just short of making the Olympic Team or winning medals. I was one of them once. I lost a lot more than I won. In truth, that's what usually happens for most of your career, until you break-through and have a shot at making any kind of money.
If you love BJ Bedford, or have just met her and now you're intrigued, check her out in action at a NIKE SWIM party in Las Vegas (in the video below). I didn't know NIKE SWIM that well. They came to the sport after me. (I was a Speedo kid and a Speedo elite-athlete.) NIKE SWIM put on a great party for their coaches and swim teams. BJ was one of the hosts and we had a great time. Being with BJ is always a great fun. If you're a swimmer or a coach, don't hesitate to say hello to her. She's very honorable and loyal, and wonderful at everything she does. I only expect success from her at her new job with IMPACT SPORTS.
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