IRVINE – Thomas Smith of Edison dominated the Sunset League swim finals in May but his victories and awards don’t seem to be his favorite memories from the meet. He instead cites his interaction with a boy from rival Fountain Valley after a race.
“As we were getting out of the water, he (said), ‘Hey, I read your story and I want to let you know that I was definitely encouraged by it,’” Smith recalled.
“It was cool to know not only that (I’m) still swimming but kind of leaving behind a trail of positivity.”
Since his freshman year at Edison, Smith has shared his journey of swimming with a benign tumor in his left knee.
Smith will be a senior in the fall and despite the tumor and back issues, he continues to blaze in the pool while seeking to inspire others.
The two-time Sunset League MVP finished second for his Aquazot club in the 200-meter backstroke at the Speedo Grand Challenge in late May and the Fran Crippen TYR Swim Meet of Champions in June. His touch of 2minutes, 2.97seconds in May is the fourth-fastest 200 back by a 17-year-old in the nation this year.
This weekend, Smith will race in the Los Angeles Invitational at USC in his final preparations for the Speedo Junior National Championships in Irvine, July 30-Aug. 3.
And while swimming is thought to be an individual pursuit, Smith considers his inclusive because of his strong connection with his Aquazot teammates.
Thoughts of his teammates and coach help him push aside his fears. The tumor has grown and if it becomes too large, Smith’s leg could be amputated, his father, Brad, said.
Smith plans to have a bi-annual MRI later this summer.
“(The tumor is) something that’s in the back of your head but being in an environment here at practice where you’re definitely fighting for faster times and you’re fighting to keep improving, you tend to be able to block it out,” he said after a recent practice with Aquazot at Woodbridge.
“You keep reminding yourself, ‘Hey, if I get to take one more step forward, that’s a blessing.’ I’m thankful to be able to swim … and hopefully see my team in the (headlines).”
Brian Pajer, Smith’s coach on the Aquazot, shares a similar positive attitude.
Pajer, 46, had a benign brain tumor removed almost two years ago but has guided Aquazot to a No. 9 ranking in USA Swimming’s latest gold-medal club excellence program. Instead of worrying about his tumor, the former UC Irvine coach and standout swimmer focuses on his family, fatherhood and coaching.
“I don’t have a whole lot of time to sit there and go, ‘Oh, man, what happens if my brain tumor comes back?’” Pajer said. “I just take my pills (to control seizures) and I’m running from one place to another.”
Like his coach, Smith often directs his attention toward someone other than himself. And in the end, his acts of encouragement help him with his own battles.
“I feel when I encourage someone, (I) tend to feel encouraged as well,” he said.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
