About the Book
The ultimate underdog story of a swim coach who could not swim, a swim club that accepted minorities when others would not, and a group of young swimmers who became Olympic champions.
Before the United States was the swimming power it is today, a novice coach named Sherm Chavoor formed a swim club that accepted all swimmers—no matter their religion, race, or social status—and started a dynasty. Following Chavoor’s intense and unorthodox coaching methods, his young swimmers quickly began dominating competitions across northern California—and then the world.
In Victory in the Pool: How a Maverick Coach Upended Society and Led a Group of Young Swimmers to Olympic Glory, Bill George tells the inspiring story of Sherm Chavoor and his dedicated athletes who rose from obscurity to win twenty Olympic gold medals during the 1960s and ‘70s. They triumphed in two of the most tumultuous and dangerous Olympic Games ever held, the 1968 Mexico City Games and the 1972 Munich Games marred by the terrorist attack that killed eleven Israeli athletes. Mark Spitz and Debbie Meyer were the two most prominent members of the team, but they were challenged every step of the way by teammates and fellow Olympians Sue Pedersen, Mike Burton, John Ferris, Jeff Float, and more.
Featuring exclusive interviews with the athletes and with Sherm Chavoor before he passed away, Victory in the Pool delivers an inside look at this unparalleled time in Olympic history. But more than that, it is the story of young people overcoming incredible odds—often in the face of insults and bigotry and under the intense glare of the spotlight—and coming out triumphant.
Table of Contents:
Foreword
Chapter One: A Place in the World
Chapter Two: An Antiquated Mess
Chapter Three: A Club to Fit His Vision
Chapter Four: Show Me What You Can Do
Chapter Five: Get a Good Look at Each Other
Chapter Six: The Best Rivalry Going
Chapter Seven: Swimming for the Enemy
Chapter Eight: Pain and Agony
Chapter Nine: It Felt Real Easy
Chapter Ten: The Gauntlet
Chapter Eleven: The American Girls Were Ready
Chapter Twelve: Chalk One Up for the Tall Men
Chapter Thirteen: Everybody Had an Agenda
Chapter Fourteen: An Absence of Order
Chapter Fifteen: The Invincible Americans
Chapter Sixteen: “I Got Down On My Knees”
Chapter Seventeen: Beat ‘em, Murder ‘em
Chapter Eighteen: Indiana Calling
Chapter Nineteen: Everybody’s Son
Chapter Twenty: The goal of Any Swimmer
Chapter Twenty-one: The Friendly Bavarian Capital
Chapter Twenty-two: Tact is Overrated
Chapter Twenty-three: “Our greatest hopes and our worst fears”
Chapter Twenty-four: “I Love You”
Chapter Twenty-five: Dogfight
References
About the Author
About the Author :
Bill George is president and executive producer of Nimbus Films and Books in Sacramento, California. He has written and produced seven award-winning documentary films about California history for PBS and is the author of Rails, Trails and Tales. George has more that forty years’ experience in journalism, government public affairs, and corporate marketing. He was an award-winning television and radio journalist who covered the World Series, the Super Bowl, and NFL and MLB playoffs for CNN and ESPN.
Review :
With Victory in the Pool, George has achieved his career trifecta, combining his love of sports journalism, history, and Northern California. Even if you’re a long-time fan of big-time swimming, the name Sherm Chavoor may not resonate. But you’ll enjoy meeting the aptly named Jeff Float and you’ll happily recall the names of Olympians such as Mark Spitz and Debbie Meyer. George boasts both a flair for storytelling and an impressive attention to detail. His book sprints to the wall for a well-deserved gold medal.
Unexpected drama, cliff hanger suspense, the clash of towering personalities... Victory In the Pool is a compelling tale of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s chase for Olympic swimming glory. Who knew a book about teenage swimmers would be a page turner?
I met Sherm Chavoor when I was 8 or 10. Gruff, yes. A bit distant, yes. But as I aged, beyond the time I swam for him, and knew him as an adult, I recognized his true character.This book illustrates it well. If you want an inspirational story of a man who motivated kids to the pinnacle of their abilities, and the stories of those remarkable kids, read this book.
Victory in the Pool takes the reader on a journey through time and Olympic swimming history. It documents the stories and passion that evolved out of Sacramento, under the guidance of coaching legend Sherm Chavoor. Decades ago, he and his students managed to open doors, raise international awareness, and put this once sleepy little capital city on the map. A native Sacramentan, I learned new information about stories I had covered throughout my decades as a print and broadcast journalist. Sacramento turned several young people into swimming stars. Not only did they win and win big—George wins and wins big with this book.
Debbie Meyer, Sue Pedersen, Mark Spitz, Mike Burton, Jeff Float and more: If you knew them, loved them, followed their careers and cheered for them, you will SO appreciate this book! You need not be a swimmer to feel both the punishment of maverick coach Sherm Chavoor’s workouts, and the powerful motivation of his approach. A thrilling play-by-play of the careers of Sacramento’s early Olympic swimmers and the coach who literally built the pool in which he trained them to greatness.
Bill George made a huge splash with this book! I jumped in and never stopped swimming through the pages. As a Sacramento sportscaster I knew and was a neighbor of Sherm Chavoor. I covered his many accomplishments, knew people that worked for him, and knew the respect the athletes had for this man. But, I never knew the whole story until now. I’m even more in awe of the drive and vision one man can have on people and history! Bill George brought this to life in this page turner about the modern history of swimming in this country.
As a former sportscaster from Sacramento, Honolulu, and the Midwest, I thought I knew these well-known names from the world of swimming, but I learned so much more about their arduous journeys. Great insight, inspiring stories, wonderful book!
It is a fascinating look at an era of swimming heroes and their heroics in the water, but more importantly, how an unlikely coach and group of swimmers from all backgrounds, came together to form something special.
