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Fact Of The Day

Jan 27, 2000

How's This For Strong-Willed?
Here's a story (from Marge Counsilman) about a well-known Canadian coach/swimmer, Ron Jacks. Ron came to Indiana to swim and was assigned to room with Fred Southward, a distance swimmer, who was also a freshman.

When it came time to retire each night, neither of these stubborn, slightly whimsical guys would turn off the overhead light that shone so brightly in their eyes as they lay prone on their beds. "No, you turned it on, you turn it off; no, you want it off, you do it".

Thereafter, for a full semester, the only time the light was off was when the bulb burned out.

Ron Jacks is one of only a handful of Canadian swimmers, who has made 3 Olympic teams in 1964, 1968 and 1972. After retiring from competitive action Ron became a coach and now serves as the Head Coach at Island Swimming in Victoria, B.C. He has placed swimmers on every Olympic team for Canada since 1976.