Coach Rick Walker tells of the time he was on a feeding station at a FINA World Championship event.

A swimmer from Guyana swam by the feeding station without stopping or receiving hydration. The next time the swimmer passed, Walker extended his feeding stick to the swimmer who was surprised, smiled broadly, drank quickly, and waved in appreciation as he swam off. By the time, the swimmer passed the feeding station a third time, the swimmer had offers of hydration from most of the coaches on the feeding station.

It was not about competition at that point, it was about the camaraderie of open water swimmers.

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