Actually, what a day - what a weekend - what a game!

There is so much to tell about my five days in South Bend - starting with my talk at Queen of Peace and ending with my attendance at Father Malloy’s seminar class. In between, I had the day of a lifetime!

Last Friday I attended the Monogram Club Board meeting. While this doesn’t exactly fit into my “day of a lifetime” category, serving on the Board has been the opportunity of a lifetime. It is our duty, our privilege, as Directors of the Monogram Club Board to serve the current student-athletes at Notre Dame. These fine young people are inspiring, and some of the finest in the country - as are my fellow Board members. Spending nine hours together, three times a year, reminds me how lucky I am to be a part of the University. It also restores and refreshes my desire to be a better person. The day was long, and we all work hard, but we also have a lot of fun.

Saturday, September 13th ROCKED!
Actually, I should say: Saturday, September 13th RAINED! 6.5 inches of rain in ONE day. It was WET.

My day started at the NOTRE DAME BOOKSTORE. How great is that?!? The Notre Dame bookstore on a football Saturday is hoppin’! It was also a haven for all those who didn’t want to get wet. Didn’t matter - they got wet anyway. I spent two hours at the ND Bookstore - and then an hour at the Varsity Shop - signing books. But not just signing books: meeting with people. It was so great to meet old friends and new friends; teammates who shared this event with me, and parents of teammates; young swimmers and not-so-young swimmers.

And then there were the few who moved me to tears: the friends who knew my deceased teammates, the girl whose brother was paralyzed in a similar accident. These readers, who had never met me, were touched by my story in a real and personal way - because it became their story too.

How blessed I was to have this opportunity to reach out and meet with my readers. Through reading my book, they feel they know me. They do. At these book signings it is my honor to get to know them too.

Thank you to all who came out, came by and braved the rain to say hello. You are helping me to Share the Inspiration!