Olympian Maddy Crippen talks about her brother Fran, his legacy and the outcome of his death after the recent Fran Crippen SafeSwim 10K that was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida here.
Maddy frankly answered the following questions put forth by The Inquirer Digital (Philly.com):
1. How has Fran’s death changed your outlook?
2. What is the Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation, and what do you hope to accomplish?
3. How popular is open-water swimming, now that it has been an Olympic sport since the 2008 Games in Beijing?
4. At the Jersey Shore, there’s about one race each weekend. What safety factors should local organizers consider?
5. How should an athlete who has never entered an open-water swim train?
6. Is the sport of open-water swimming doing enough to set and maintain adequate safety standards?
7. You recently attended a conference on safety at open-water events in San Francisco. What recommendations came out of it?
8. The water temperature, in the mid-80-degree range, contributed to Fran’s death. Should there be temperature limits for competitive international events?
9. FINA, the international governing body of swimming, recently released a comprehensive report about your brother’s death. What are your thoughts on the results?
10. Are you still swimming?
Photo by Ann Ford shows Andrew Gemmell beginning to dolphin as he approached the finish of the Fran Crippen SafeSwim 10K ahead of Sergiy Fesenko and Chad LaTourette.
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