10,000 Meters Of Harvard

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, May 23. HARVARD University is renowned for its Nobel Prize winners, presidents, heads of state, titans of industry, innovators, and academics in various fields.

Even its influence in Hollywood exist with actors from Jack Lemmon to Natalie Portman and studio executives like Jeff Zucker.

But its athletes are much less accomplished and known.

Alex Meyer is making a name for the Crimson in the open water swimming world. The 2012 Olympian came back from a terrible injury where he broke his collarbone to win last week's USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships.

And he swam heroically. He swam tactically and strategically. He was aggressive. He and his coach Tim Murphy were confident in his preparation. He knew precisely the strengths and weaknesses of his competitors which he exploited to his benefit. Even when a turn buoy came loose from its moorings during the critical last loop and disrupted the race when he was in the lead pack of 3, he kept his cool. Even with the secondary pack coming up on him while he was sandwiched between two fierce rivals, Meyer remained composed and focused on his goal. He turned that moment of indecision to an opportunity. When the trio of leaders looked up at the race officials and wondered what to do next, Meyer's calmness was his advantage.

He turned that unexpected happening to victory as he ripped off an blazing last 600 meters.

And he does so in precise and unorthodox ways, alternately training in Walden Pond and an Endless Pool as well as the Harvard University pool. But what he does obviously leads to success as he combines hard training with that cool, calm, and composed Harvard intellectual.

Note: Title is a play off Ten Thousand Men of Harvard, the most-frequently performed of Harvard University's numerous fight songs.

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