Thanks for saving my seat

While at Winter Long Course Nationals in Atlanta, USA Swimming was offering autograph signing by some Olympians and National Team Members.  I don't know all the big names in swimming but one stuck out at me...  Nick Brunelli.  I remember meeting him at the Pro Swim League meet in Ann Arbor a month prior.  He struck me as a nice guy the few times I interacted with him at the meet.  The only good swim I had at the Pro Dual 1 was my 100m backstroke which was a 58.02.  That performance still ranks as my best swim ever "in-season".  I was tired and worn down and I was half a second off my lifetime best time (without a tech suit) in the event.  In that particular race, I happened to finish 0.01 seconds ahead of Nick Brunelli.  Now, back to Nationals 2 weeks ago... I passed by a line of kids waiting for swimmers autographs, one of the swimmers being Nick Brunelli.  Since I'm a fan of comedy, I considered going up to him and saying "Hey Nick, thanks for saving my seat" and would be sure to follow it with a laugh to ensure he knew I was joking!

It was the first time in my life that I saw a moderately famous swimmer who I beat (once), surrounded by people who wanted their autograph.  It was a bit ironic to me.  To clarify, there is not a single person on this planet who would say that I'm a better swimmer than Nick Brunelli.  If I had to guess, he is either not a backstroker and/or had a bad race while I had a good race.  Regardless, it's a funny story I've told a few times.  I definitely respect Nick Brunelli, many would agree he's a very talented athlete!