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In the mid-1980s, a young student named Ron Karnaugh came into my Tuesday afternoon office hours, sat down at my round conference table, and stated that he had two dreams: one, to go to medical school, and the other, to swim in the Olympics. I said I would be happy to help him with the former, but he was on his own for the latter. I suggested that he should not let anything else interfere with his dreams, then added that if he made it to the Olympics, I would go and watch him swim. While he was taking my basic human anatomy course, Ron came to my office hours each week to review the material to be certain he understood it well. Taking pre-med courses while at the same time swimming six hours a day is a strain on anyone’s time and body. Ron tried out for the 1988 Olympics. Only the top two finishers qualify for the U.S. Olympic swim team, and he finished third. He was heartbroken. Ron did not give up easily. In the fall of 1990, he suggested that I reserve an airplane ticket in the event he made the 1992 Olympic team. Meanwhile, Ron’s progress on his other dream continued. In 1991, he was accepted to a medical school near his hometown in New Jersey. That summer, Ron called to tell me that he had won the Pan American Games and was ranked second in the world in the 200-meter individual medley. Only a Hungarian swimmer was in front of him. The satisfaction and excitement came through strongly over the telephone wires. How pleased I was for this fine young man! Then, in the spring of 1992, Ron won the U.S. Olympic trials, and the official call came through designating his crowning glory: to represent the United States in Barcelona. I confirmed my travel plans to make my promise a reality. The summer weekend that the Games began, I turned on my radio during breakfast Sunday morning. The announcer, in an emotional voice, reported that the father of one of the swimmers had died of a heart attack during the opening ceremonies, while watching his son parade into the stadium. I was shocked to hear that it was Ron’s father. What a blow! Ron was scheduled to compete on Friday. How could he perform after such a devastating experience? Yet, I knew somehow he would, and sent an immediate telegram stating I was coming to offer support. The next thing I knew I was sitting in Barcelona’s Olympic stadium, at the trial meet on Friday morning. Ron swam beautifully, coming in second behind the top-ranked Hungarian. But at the big event later that evening, Ron was obviously nervous — he jumped the starting gun, then climbed back out of the pool and prepared to go again. What tension! He got off to a good start, but then his strokes suddenly became slightly modified, not as strong and smoothly coordinated as they had been at the start. Something inside him was beginning to react, I imagined; the reality of the tragedy had begun to catch up and take hold. Ron came in sixth. I went to the training rooms to try to find him, but to no avail. I was disappointed not to speak with Ron at that moment, but I knew that he had satisfied his dreams: He had swum in the Olympics and had been accepted to medical school. Many people were touched by Ron’s tragic and courageous experience. Newspapers around the world carried the drama of his story. The owner of the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner, offered to pay Ron’s medical school costs in full. Ron Karnaugh ’89 earned his M.D. in orthopedic surgery in 1997 from New Jersey Medical School. In the 1998 Goodwill Games, he won the 200-meter individual medley with a record time of 2:02.08. He finished 1999 ranked 21st in the world, and narrowly missed qualifying for the 2000 Olympic team. --By Marian Diamond |
We invite alumni to write about their Cal experiences for “Recalling Cal,” California Monthly, Alumni House, Berkeley 94720. Contributors will be paid $100 upon publication.
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