Gib Smith’s journey from battling leukemia to inspiring future Olympians and high school graduates exemplifies courage, resilience and the spirit of adventure.
One of the greatest joys about being retired from CIA is the opportunity I now enjoy to immerse myself in our local community, especially the schools where my kids and their pals spend their days in class and on the sports fields. After all, freedom of opportunity in our glorious country starts with a good education.
Around this time of year I’m always honored to speak with high school seniors who are about to take a momentous step forward toward building their own adventure. My message to them invokes one of the most courageous and inspirational people I’ve ever met, Gib Smith.
I first met Gib in the late 1980s when we were assistant swim coaches for the Capital Sea Devils, based in Washington, D.C. In addition to coaching, we both swam the morning practice with the older kids ages 12 to 18 from 5 to 7 a.m.
He, who had swum all through high school and for James Madison University, was the fastest swimmer in the pool. He and I were both in our early 20s and from the moment we met, I admired Gib for being such a strong swimmer even though our days of competing in water polo and college swim meets were long behind us.
But what made Gib’s swimming prowess so extraordinary was that he was also fighting cancer. Having been diagnosed with leukemia shortly after graduating from college, Gib would show up for practice even after having been subjected to arduous cancer treatment the day before.
He inspired all of us, including future Olympian Tom Dolan, who was then only 12 years old and just starting to come into his own as a brilliant long distance and individual medley swimmer. I fondly remember good-naturedly teasing Tom, asking how it was that Gib was crushing him in practice even while recovering from another round of radiation.
In 1988, Gib raised $12,000 for the National Cancer Institute by competing in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge swim race held each year in early June. Even while fighting cancer, Gib was building his own adventure.
Adventure implies getting outside one’s comfort zone, which is especially challenging for cancer patients. That’s why Gib’s story should resonate with high school graduates as they take the next step in what can often feel like a daunting new chapter in their lives.
First, few high school graduates have escaped some adversity in their lives, perhaps on the sports field, or God forbid as was the case for my own children, family trauma. But as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said,