“He was my friend and teammate,” explained American Olympic marathon swimmer Alex Meyer at the Fran Crippen Sunset Mile last night during an impassioned speech to several hundred swimmers, coaches, parents, and administrators.

“Fran touched so many people in so many different ways. The Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation is part of his legacy.”

Meyer held the crowd, standing on the shoreline of Castaic Lake, spellbound.

He kept them intrigued about the life of the American hero who had an impact on everyone he met regardless of age, gender, nationality, ability, or culture. He spoke about the safety aspect of the sport and how focus on the athletes, their safety and their dreams were the overriding themes of Fran’s all-too-brief life.

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