Brooke McMahan Memorial Swim draws 140-plus

More than 140 swimmers competed in the Brooke McMahan Memorial Invitational Swim Meet on Saturday at the Ocasek Natatorium at the University of Akron.

The swim meet, in its third year, honors the 23-year-old woman who died unexpectedly of a seizure in 2003. McMahan, who had a mild developmental disability, was the daughter of Chris and Kim Hone-McMahan, a Beacon Journal reporter.

Brooke McMahan, a 1999 graduate of Green High School, loved to swim and was always at the center of social activities with her friends. She was certified in CPR and child care, worked as an assistant swimming instructor at the YMCA and was a member of the Summit Special Olympic Athletic Club.

''Brooke had been a swimmer with us for years. When she died, it was tough on all of the athletes and their families,'' said club President Cathy Parker. ''We wanted to do this event to show the family that we care about them and to let them know that they are still a part of our swim family.''

Each of the swimmers and the more than 50 volunteers at the meet received a commemorative T-shirt and a gold star, which represented McMahan.

''Our team became the Summit Stars for Brooke,'' Parker said. ''It was the way our athletes understood that Brooke was in heaven, by relating to the stars in the sky.''

The first half of the competition featured traditional swimming strokes. The second part was framed to reflect McMahan's fun, spirited personality. The latter events included a kick-board relay, a backstroke relay and a ''talking relay,'' which required swimmers to talk the entire time they swam.

''We called her 'Babbling Brooke' because she talked a lot,'' said a chuckling Kuenzli. ''She could always make you laugh. I really miss her.''

The athletic club is an Ohio-sanctioned Special Olympic program founded by Summit County parents of people with disabilities.

Click on the headline to read the full story by staff writerColette M. Jenkins which appeared on the local secion front (page B1)