SWIMNEWS ONLINE: March 1998 Magazine Articles

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American Personality: Ron Karnaugh

After Medical School, Veteran Applies Newfound Knowledge To Earn World Championship Medal

 

Russ Ewald


Ron Karnaugh is remembered most for his decision to compete six days after his father, Peter, suffered a fatal heart attack during the opening ceremonies in Barcelona. The U.S. swimmer, who had the second-best time among entrants going into the 200 individual medley final, could not overcome his emotions and finished sixth.

Now, at 31 and a 1997 graduate of the New Jersey Medical School in Newark, Karnaugh is back in the spotlight after becoming the oldest World Championship medallist. He placed third in the 200 IM in 2:01.89 this January in Perth and intends to delay his medical career further to try to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2000.

"I cut a deal with myself," says Karnaugh. "If I was among the top two Americans or top five in the world, I would continue training. Now, I'm the top American and No. 3 in the world, so I'm going to keep going. I feel like I'm the Cal Ripken of swimming.

"I really love it (swimming). It's hard to quit. I tried a few times. I enjoy training. It sets me into a different mood. I'm able to relax and relieve stress or frustrations. It's refreshing. It just makes me feel so much better when I get done with a workout. It puts me in an isolated environment where I can get away from the world for a couple of hours and clean my head and mind. Physically, I feel so much better after a good practice."

Karnaugh retired from swimming after the Barcelona Olympics and then came back in 1995 to try to make the U.S. team for the Atlanta Games. He finished fourth in the 200 IM at the trials after being the top qualifier and leading at the midway point. He blames his failure on not hitting his taper (rested too much) and starting his training just one year before the trials.


Oldest medal winner in Perth - 31-year-old Ron Karnaugh
Click image for larger photo. Photo © Marco Chiesa


"I believe in four-year cycles," he says. "By that I mean you must train on a consistent basis. I was basically out of it for three years, sitting in classes and labs. I also lost my competitive edge as well as my fitness, endurance, and strength."

Karnaugh wanted to begin preparing for Sydney soon after the Atlanta Games. He went to train at Foxcatcher in Philadelphia where he had made startling progress in 1986 and 1987 (the 23rd seed in the 200 IM at the '86 World Championship trials, he placed fourth).


Ron Karnaugh, USA
BIRTHDATE July 19, 1966
PLACE Maplewood, N.J.
HEIGHT 6 ft. 5 in. / 196 cm
WEIGHT 200 lbs / 93 kg
OCCUPATION Medical School Ô97 / Swimming
REPRESENTS Foxcatcher
COACH Dick Shoulberg
Long Course Progression
Year 200 I.M. World Ranking
1985 2:10.21 -
1986 2:03.78 (9)
1987 2:04.23 (15)
1988 2:03.24 (9)
1989 2:02.78 (4)
1990 2:01.77 (3)
3rd US Nationals
1991 2:00.92 (2)
1st Pan Ams
1992 2:01.41 (5)
6th Olympics
1993 retired -
1994 retired -
1995 2:04.40 (30)
1996 2:02.41 (9)
1997 2:02.25 (8)
3rd Pan Pacs
1998 2:01.89 (3)
3rd Worlds

Foxcatcher coach, Dick Shoulberg, had no qualms about taking an older swimmer but insisted Karnaugh complete his final year of med school. Karnaugh came back with his M.D. a year later and made the U.S. team for the World Championships with just eight weeks of full-time training, doing only aerobic work.

"There is a stigma that you shouldn't swim after college because you burn out," says Shoulberg. "I believe there are other athletes who work harder than swimmers in more demanding sports that are very successful in their 30s. Just look at Michael Jordan. Swimmers can do it, too. But society doesn't want them to. Society says, ÔNo, you shouldn't. It's weird.

"When Ron came to me, I said, ÔIt's great. You can teach my swimmers from your experience and be a positive role model. And, if you're not, you're not going to swim here.

"Ron is in unbelievable condition. He is real good at working independently. I think it has enhanced his career. He does at least an hour of stretching a day on his own." While Karnaugh had concentrated on the 200 IM since graduating from California in 1989, Shoulberg made Karnaugh train for the 400 IM too.

"My philosophy is you need to improve your 400 IM to swim the 200 IM well," says Shoulberg, who has developed many top medley swimmers including Olympians Dave Wharton, Erika Hansen, Sue Heon, and Karin Laberge.

Shoulberg didn't change his basic program because of Karnaugh's age. There was one concession. He made the swimmer promise that if his body needed sleep after a series of demanding days, he should "turn the alarm off. I told him to take heart rates at night and in the morning."

Karnaugh concedes it's harder to recover between training sessions and he loses his fitness a lot quicker during breaks. Nevertheless, he swam personal bests in the 400 IM four times last summer. He set American short course metres records twice in the 400 IM (4:12.53, 4:11.93) and the 100 IM (54.69, 54.48) and once in the 200 IM (1:57.47).

Karnaugh thinks there are several factors for his success at such a late age. "Part of it is genetic, I think," he says. "I work hard in the pool and also cross train. I am real conscious of my diet and stretching."

Karnaugh compares his success to that of Dr. Roger Bannister, a medical student when he became the first runner ever to break the four-minute mile (in 1954). Bannister, though, was just 25.

He explains, "I think it is a lot of the knowledge that I've obtained in medical school, learning the physiology of how the body works at many different levels, whether biochemical or pharmaceutical. Any kind of illness or injury, I know how to deal with that."


Fiancee Tracy Beder and Ron after Perth bronze medal
Click image for larger photo. Photo © Marco Chiesa


Karnaugh believes "if I had the knowledge that I have now, I'd have been able to get through that week in Barcelona and not have been so drained with the physical and emotional stress."

Of course, a major concern with most swimmers remaining in the sport is finances. Karnaugh is able to support himself through funds received from U.S. Swimming and the U.S. Olympic Committee and a sponsorship contract with Speedo.

"It's difficult to stay in the sport," he admits. "Many swimmers don't have the opportunity to financially survive in the sport. At this level of competition, you have to train full time and have the resources to be able to train full time."

Controversial New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner paid for Karnaugh's medical school education. Steinbrenner, a U.S. Olympic Committee vice-president, escorted Karnaugh's mother and sister into the Olympic Village at about 4 a.m. the morning after the opening ceremonies to inform the swimmer his father had passed away. At that time of need, Steinbrenner volunteered to pay for Ron's medical school expenses.

"I am grateful to him not just for the finances but having him support me emotionally," says Karnaugh. "He's like an extended family member and keeps in touch with me to this day. He was warm and understanding about my situation in contrast to how the media portrays him as being cold and stern."

Karnaugh is engaged to Tracy Beder, whom he met a little over four years ago at a Maplewood community pool where she worked. He proposed to her the past Christmas Eve in New York's Rockefeller Center. Besides training, he plans to do post-doctoral research in orthopaedic surgery starting this fall.

"She was there for me when I was stressed out with the emotions I felt after the death of my father," says Karnaugh. "She's helped me relax and keep my mind off swimming as opposed to being by myself and thinking about swimming all the time. That can work against you."

Karnaugh has come to terms with the 1992 tragedy and taken something good from a devastating experience. All the letters he received from around the world and the phone calls of sympathy overwhelmed him, especially in his hometown, which had paid his family's way to Barcelona and held a parade in his honour afterward.

"The compassion people showed me has made me more sensitive to others," says Karnaugh. "I'll always have that for the rest of my life. I can't think of a better career to be in than medicine to have this quality."






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