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Around the Oval

Never Forgotten
New Memorial Pays Tribute to Fallen Soldiers

The steady drizzle of rain accompanied by the solemn sound of bagpipes marked the unveiling of the Fallen Soldier Memorial at The University of Montana, which honors Montana military members who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. As heads bowed to remember the deceased, families huddled around the names of those they lost—forty names etched in stone, never to be forgotten.

Located along Memorial Row, the larger-than-life bronze sculptures created by Montana artist Rick Rowley depict a helmet placed atop a rifle, with the fallen soldier’s boots resting by its side. The soldier’s child, accompanied by a teacher and the soldier’s parents, look on to the makeshift battlefield cross. Granite tiles engraved with the names of those who died circle the figures. Representing more than remembrance and appreciation, the new memorial serves as a promise to the children of those lost in the wars.

The memorial is a gift from Grateful Nation Montana, a revolutionary program that ensures a guaranteed college education at a state school to children who have lost parents in the recent military conflicts. UM alum David Bell, the co-founder of Grateful Nation, started the ball rolling to create the memorial in addition to providing educational assistance. Thanks to the help of former UM President George Dennison and current President Royce Engstrom, Bell’s vision became reality on November 4.

Hundreds of people packed the Montana Theatre to be part of the dedication ceremony. Boy Scout Troop No. 1911 handed out small flags and shook the hands of those in uniform. An instant camaraderie formed within the theater. Everyone shared the same purpose: to honor the fallen and support those who were left behind.

U.S. Senator Max Baucus had a personal reason for attending the ceremony. In 2006, his nephew, Phillip E. Baucus, died in Iraq.

“I loved Phillip like a son,” Baucus says. “When he died, he returned to the family ranch one last time. We spread his ashes on his favorite mountain. We all died a little bit that day, but we were better people for all knowing dear, wonderful Phillip.”

Dennison, Engstrom, and Brigadier General Matt Quinn of the Montana National Guard attended the ceremony. Each promised to uphold their support for the families and communities of those left behind, and each thanked Bell.

When Bell rose to speak, he was met with a standing ovation.

“This journey that Grateful Nation has taken me on, to be candid, is more than I originally bargained for,” Bell says. “I am haunted by the blessing of having the images of all forty of our boys permanently and vividly etched in my mind. They fought for us. Now let’s fight for them.”

The unveiling and dedication ceremony was held in conjunction with the inaugural Military Reunion weekend at UM. Current military members, veterans, and their families unfurled a gigantic American flag across Washington-Grizzly Stadium before the Griz took on Western Oregon. The crowd cheered as a pair of F-15 fighter jets roared overhead.

The weekend also marked the grand opening of the UM Veterans Education and Transition Services office on campus. The office serves as a one-stop shop for veterans’ resources and a place to find camaraderie with other student veterans.

Montana has a long-standing history of military service. The state has suffered more casualties per capita than any other state. The weekend recognized the honor, sacrifice, and commitment of many Montanans.

“Montanans volunteer for military service at the highest rates in the country,” Baucus says. “Living under this beautiful Big Sky, you can’t help but fall in love with America and want to do whatever it takes to defend it.”

—Alyse Backus

New Flag Honors Griz Tradition

It’s a number that resonates throughout Griz Nation.

It’s been on the jersey of a select group of Grizzly football greats. Players like Kraig Paulson, Tim Hauck, Todd Ericson, Jason Crebo, and Ciche Pitcher.

It’s the number thirty-seven.

“I believe it’s one of the greatest traditions that Grizzly football has,” UM Director of Athletics Jim O’Day says.

Now the tradition is celebrated not only on the jersey of a player, but also with a new flag-raising ceremony held during pregame festivities at home football games.

UM alum Randy Rupert came to Grizzly Athletics with the idea, which is a play on what the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks do when they raise a number twelve flag, honoring the fans, or the “twelfth man.”

“That twelfth-man flag really gets the crowd going in Seattle,” says Rupert, who works at CTA Architects and Engineers in Missoula. “I thought, ‘Why don’t we raise a thirty-seven flag in tribute to the fans and all the outstanding players who have played for the Griz?’”

UM was on board, and away they went.

Just after the team captains are announced, a maroon and silver flag with “Montana” and “37” stitched on it is run up the pole, which sits atop the north end zone bleachers. The flag flies just a bit higher than the others representing Big Sky Conference schools.

UM senior Ryan Fetherston wore the famed jersey this season, and his parents were the first to raise the flag. Pitcher, who donned the jersey from 2001 to 2003, had the honor of raising the flag during Homecoming.

“It was a really cool experience,” says Pitcher, an Anaconda native. “I got to watch the game from the sidelines and see some of my old teammates. It was fun.”

Paulson, now the defensive coordinator at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, began the jersey tradition in 1983 with the idea that it would be passed on to a younger player who hails from Montana. He gave it to Big Timber’s Hauck, who passed it on to Butte’s Ericson. The tradition continued.

“It was special when it was given to me,” Pitcher says. “When you grow up in Montana, you value that tradition and you look up to the guys who wore it. Not just because they were successful, but their approach to playing football. They were talented, hard-working, smart players—the kind of player I wanted to be. It was great to have that honor.”

Rupert hopes to have all of the past players who wore the number raise the flag, but since there are only nine, others will be sought.

“Seeing the crowd respond to something new like this is exciting,” Rupert says. “And having the flag flying up there, knowing that it’s honoring a long-standing tradition unique to the Griz, means a lot.”

The Montana Grizzlies reclaimed the Great Divide Trophy by drubbing the Montana State University Bobcats, 36-10, in November. It was UM’s twenty-second win in the past twenty-six games against the rival Bobcats, who were the top-ranked team in the country coming into the contest. The win also gave the Griz a share of the Big Sky Conference title and the league’s automatic bid in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The Griz have won or shared thirteen of the past fourteen league championships.

UM’s soccer team won the 2011 Big Sky Conference

title, outlasting Weber State during a November shootout at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. UM, led by first-year head coach Mark Plakorus, beat tournament host UNC in the semifinal round, also in a shootout. The Grizzlies advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2000. They drew top-ranked Stanford in the first round and fell 3-0.

The Cardinal went on to win the national championship.

Flathead Lake Biological Station Lands $1 Million Challenge Gift

Known for its pristine waters that reflect the Rocky Mountains, Flathead Lake is one of Montana’s most treasured natural assets. Preservation of this asset just received a significant boost: a $1 million challenge gift for UM’s Flathead Lake Biological Station.

The funding is from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Scientists will use the additional resources for water-quality monitoring and limnological research, which focuses on the study of inland freshwater. The anonymous donor will match contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million.

“We are grateful for this expression of support for one of The University of Montana’s premier research programs, the Flathead Lake Biological Station,” UM President Royce Engstrom says. “The gift will make a significant impact on UM’s efforts to help preserve our natural resources.”

FLBS researchers began lake monitoring in the 1890s through periodic studies. Since 1977 the measurements have been continuous but focused on a single mid-lake sampling site. In addition to taking measurements more frequently and at greater depths, the gift will allow the program to continue without interruption and cover a larger area of Flathead Lake.

The long-term data and interpretations compiled by UM researchers help citizens, managers, and governments evaluate their actions and conserve the clarity and cleanliness of the lake. The research activities also provide training for the next generation of water-quality managers and educators.

“We are thrilled to receive this generous gift,” says Bonnie Ellis, FLBS research assistant professor. “With community support, we can raise the matching funds to meet the $1 million challenge and double our efforts to help protect the Flathead Lake ecosystem for years to come.”

To contribute and help double the impact of this gift, call Ellis at 406-982-3301 ext. 239 or e-mail bonnie.ellis@umontana.edu.

Odyssey of the Stars Honors West

The UM College of Visual and Performing Arts will pay tribute to Palmer West ’98, producer of acclaimed independent films such as Requiem for a Dream, during its twelfth annual Odyssey of the Stars—A Celebration of Artistic Journeys.

This year’s show, In the Moment, will start at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24, in the University Theatre. It features UM students, faculty, and West as the guest artist and honoree. Odyssey of the Stars pays tribute to UM performing and visual arts alumni and tells the story of their artistic journeys, showcasing the many different roads to success that an artist can travel.

Two years after graduating with a degree in drama from UM, West quickly established himself in the competitive world of independent filmmaking. Requiem for a Dream, his second film, was a critical and commercial success and garnered 2001 Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Ellen Burstyn in the Best Actress category. It won a variety of awards from the Boston Society of Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics Association, Las Vegas Film Critics Society, and the National Board of Review.

The team West put together for the film also included director Darren Aronofsky (a 2010 Academy Award nominee for directing Black Swan) and Jennifer Connelly (a 2002 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winner for A Beautiful Mind).

West has worked with an impressive list of actors and directors on his many successful films, including Robert Redford, Helen Mirren, and Willem Dafoe in The Clearing; Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, and Robert Downey Jr. in A Scanner Darkly; and Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, and Kevin Spacey in The United States of Leland.

In addition to producing films, West and his partner, Jonah Smith, launched an apparel line in 2009. Aether Apparel provides clothing for outdoor enthusiasts who want modern, sophisticated style. The apparel line is another example of West’s commitment to excellence and represents the artistic spirit and strong work ethic that lie at the heart of the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ mission.

Odyssey of the Stars, an evening of entertainment spotlighting students from the schools of Music, Theatre & Dance, Media Arts, and Art, benefits the College of Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship Fund. For ticket and sponsorship information, call 406-243-4970 or e-mail cvpadean@mso.umt.edu.

The Bottom Line:

680: Military and veteran students enrolled at UM, which was named a military-friendly school by G.I. Jobs magazine

$500,000: Dollars the Grizzly Scholarship Association State Board of Directors voted to commit in matched funding to the athletic facility improvement project at UM

15,669: Total headcount enrollment at UM for autumn semester 2011, an all-time record

#1: UM’s ranking for safest campus in Montana, according to StateUniversity.com

4: Number of former Montana Grizzlies on the NFL Pro Bowl ballot: Miami’s Dan Carpenter, Philadelphia’s Colt Anderson, Tennessee’s Marc Mariani, and Atlanta’s Kroy Biermann

UM Researcher Named Regents Professor

UM Professor Richard Bridges joined an elite group in November when the state Board of Regents unanimously voted to name him Regents Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Regents Professor is the top rank awarded to faculty members in the Montana University System. Bridges is only the ninth UM professor to earn the title since the policy of naming Regents Professors started in 1991.

“This is really a tremendous honor considering not only the many accomplishments of the other Regents Professors, but also all the high-quality faculty in our programs and centers who I have the pleasure of working with every day,” Bridges says. “What means the most to me is that this appointment recognizes that teaching and research are essentially inseparable and that the two must be increasingly combined to properly prepare our students to compete and succeed.”

Regents Professors must demonstrate unusual excellence in instruction, scholarship, and service, as well as distinctive impact through their work. The rank is awarded by the Board of Regents upon the recommendation of the University president.

“Professor Bridges joins the ranks of individuals who exemplify the spirit of the faculty at UM,” President Royce Engstrom says. “We are proud to recognize him not just for his outstanding accomplishments, but his distinction as a University citizen.”

Bridges has chaired UM’s Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences since 2008. That department is part of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy in UM’s College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences.

“Professor Bridges really deserves this honor because he is an outstanding researcher,” says Dave Forbes, dean of the college. “He also uses his excellent problem-solving skills to deftly communicate complex biomedical concepts to the school’s health professional students using innovative computer technology.”

Emma’s Big Day
UM Gathers to Celebrate Emma Lommasson’s 100th Birthday

Hundreds of people recently crowded into the University Center Ballroom to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of UM’s greatest treasures.

On December 10, 2011, the University community came together to wish Emma Lommasson a happy birthday, as scores of former students, co-workers, and friends gathered for her special day. The catering staff had to open the other half of the ballroom to accommodate all 400 of her well-wishers.

As servers passed around cake and champagne, distinguished guests spoke kind words about Lommasson. She even received a birthday card from President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama. Missoula Mayor John Engen declared the date Emma B. Lommasson Day.

“Here at the University we talk about building the University for the next century,” UM President Royce Engstrom says. “We just finished building the University for the Emma Lommasson century.”

“Her lifetime association with the University has become the stuff of legends,” says former UM President George Dennison.

Lommasson spent fifty-eight years at UM either as a student, undergraduate adviser, teacher, staff member, or registrar. She enrolled as a mathematics student in 1929 and graduated in 1933. She went back to her hometown of Sand Coulee to teach for six years before returning to UM to earn her master’s degree and becoming a staff member. In 2002 the student services building was named in her honor. She has known all but four UM presidents.

“It’s far more appropriate and revealing to say, all but four presidents knew Emma,” Dennison says.

—Alyse Backus

The famous Big Sky Little League All-Star baseball team from Billings was honored at the Grizzlies’ home-opening football game this past fall. In August the squad became the first from Montana to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Penn., where they went on an incredible run to the United States championship game, which aired live on national TV. Unfortunately, they fell 11-2 to California, a team they beat a few days prior.

UM School of Law Celebrates Centennial

UM’s School of Law celebrated a major milestone in 2011, as the school turned 100 years old. Its official birthday is February 17, but the school took the opportunity to celebrate all year long, culminating in an alumni reunion and gala dinner on campus in early September.

More than 400 law school alumni gathered for the celebration, which included panel discussions and a tailgate party before the Griz football game against Cal Poly. During the dinner, short videos played depicting the school’s rich history.

“The event was wonderful and well-received,” law school Dean Irma Russell says. “We heard superlatives about everything. Everyone said it was over-the-top and a great event.”

U.S. Senator Max Baucus attended, as did UM President Royce Engstrom. Missoula Mayor John Engen emceed the gala.

A hundred years ago, the school welcomed in its first class of seventeen students. Today, more than 250 are enrolled in the school’s programs.

Notable law school alumni include numerous members of the judiciary such as William J. Jameson, former U.S. District Court judge and president of the American Bar Association; James R. Browning, former chief judge of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court; Judge Sydney R. Thomas of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; and many current members of the federal and state judiciary in Montana.

Former U.S. Senator Lee Metcalf, former Montana Governors Marc Racicot and Donald Nutter, former Montana Attorneys General Joseph Mazurek and Michael Greely, and current Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau also are graduates of the school. 

UM Lands $9.9 Million Research grant

UM recently received a $9.9 million grant to fund research at its Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics.

The center will use the resources to study physiological processes and diseases from a perspective concentrated on atomic structure, chemistry, and physics. The grant also earns the center designation as a National Institutes of Health Center of Biomedical Research Excellence [COBRE], one of only four in the nation in 2011.

“This award increases the opportunity for research and training at UM by providing salaries for junior investigators and their support staff, as well as funds for essential cutting-edge technology,” says Dr. Barbara Alving, director of the National Center for Research Resources, the NIH entity that awarded the grant.

The center’s faculty are from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Division of Biological Sciences, and the Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Research funded by the grant will delve into new therapeutic approaches to drug resistance, heart disease, behavioral disorders, and viral diseases, says Stephen Sprang, UM program director of the NIH COBRE grant.

It will fund specific research of four faculty members.

Erica Woodahl will use biochemical and spectroscopic methods to understand how certain transporter proteins alter the therapeutic effect of drugs. She hopes this information will be used to improve drug development. In summer 2010, Woodahl started a five-year study to determine how a person’s individual genes affect the success of the cancer-fighting drug tamoxifen.

“The funding will provide money for personnel and laboratory supplies to complete experiments,” Woodahl says. “It will be able to support the research I am doing for the next three years.”

Klara Briknarova will work with advanced spectroscopic methods to understand how viruses employ specialized proteins to invade human cells. By using quantum mechanical methods, Xi Chu is learning how physiologically critical enzymes use metal ions to catalyze reactions. Valeriy Smirnov uses state-of-the-art biochemical methods to understand the catalytic mechanism of an enzyme that uses iron to convert the common amino acid tryptophan into serotonin, an important neurotransmitter.

Notable & Quotable

The Montana Board of Regents recently approved UM’s proposal to rename the University Theatre in honor of past UM President George M. Dennison and his wife, Jane. Dennison served twenty years as president of UM. A formal dedication ceremony will take place toward the end of spring semester.

The Payne Family Native American Center has received LEED Platinum status, the highest level of certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council for achieving sustainable building standards. “The Payne Family Native American Center was the first building for which UM pursued LEED certification,” campus architect Jameel Chaudhry says. “The fact that we were able to achieve Platinum status shows the commitment UM has toward our campus sustainability goals.” LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the nation’s pre-eminent program for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.

UM Regents Professor of Marketing Jakki Mohr delivered a TED talk at the TEDxSanDiego event in December. Her speech, Unleashing the Promise of Biomimicry for Sustainable Innovation, promoted recent developments in biomimicry, which uses the designs and processes of nature to inspire solutions for human problems. TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, touts itself as a nonprofit organization devoted to “ideas worth spreading.” TED holds an annual conference that brings together inspired thinkers to give “the talk of their lives” in eighteen minutes or less. Videos of the talks are posted to the popular TEDTalks website and attract millions of views worldwide.

The Old Journalism building is now known as Stone Hall, commemorating UM’s first journalism school dean, Arthur L. Stone. He founded the school in 1914, which began as a collection of borrowed army tents used for classrooms. In 1937 the journalism building, considered one of the finest in the nation at the time, was built. Now more than seventy years later, it bears his name.

Former ASUM president and 2011 UM graduate Ashleen Williams has been named the University’s first Mitchell Scholar. Selected from more than 300 applicants, Williams is one of twelve students who will pursue postgraduate studies at universities across Ireland and Northern Ireland during the 2012-13 academic year. Williams, currently a U.S. Fulbright English teaching assistant in Bahrain, will study peace and conflict studies at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.

UM’s Department of Physics and Astronomy celebrated its 100th anniversary during Homecoming. “It is an honor to think that we are carrying on a tradition of teaching physics and astronomy at UM that has been ongoing for 100 years,” says Andrew Ware, department chair. “We were lucky to have a distinguished group of alumni return to UM to tell us about their current work.” Presenters included Hilary Martens, California Institute of Technology graduate student; David Westerly, University of Colorado-Denver assistant professor; Brent Buffington, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory mission specialist; and Ahmed Diallo, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory scientist. 

The President’s Perspective

Greetings!

As I write this column on an evening during finals week, the campus looks especially beautiful under a blanket of snow. Across the Oval, I see the glow of lights in

The Payne Family Native American Center, reminding me of the contribution that facility makes to our learning environment. Such a dynamic learning environment is made of the people who work and learn here, the programming that makes up both the academic and co-curricular opportunities for students, the facilities and underlying infrastructure, and the campus atmosphere that signals a supportive and exciting place to learn.

We have taken important steps this fall to strengthen our learning environment. In November we dedicated a memorial to Montanans who have given their lives during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Alumnus David Bell was the driving force behind the memorial, gifting it to the University through the Grateful Nation project. Several hundred people attended the powerful ceremony. That same weekend, we held an open house of our new veterans’ center, a place where students can congregate and find support services tailored to their needs.

The leadership of the UM affiliation—UM-Helena, UM Western, Montana Tech, and the Missoula campus—traveled throughout the state visiting Montana’s tribal colleges to learn more about their programs and communities. The discussion focused on student success and opportunities for collaboration. We strive to develop a learning environment especially supportive of Native American students.

Innovative academic programming contributes to the excitement. This fall, we began a new Ph.D. program in systems ecology, and a proposal for a minor in Arabic studies is making its way through the approval process.

The seemingly unlimited special events, whether they are academic, cultural, athletic, or simply entertainment, keep the campus vibrant. We are fortunate to call The University of Montana our home!

Royce C. Engstrom
President

Bird Songs
Music, Biology Combine to Create Chickadee Symphony

Classical music often finds its inspirations from the songs of birds. By listening closely to the sounds of a symphony, playful songbirds are heard in the high pitch of a flute, and the eerie hoot of a great horned owl resides in the deep resonation of a tuba. Is this how biology and art blend? Thanks to the collaboration among a biologist, a composer, and the UM Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the answer is yes.

UM Professor Erick Greene and composer Craig Naylor have two things in common: music and biology. Greene originally started as a jazz musician who then switched to biology. Naylor went the other way—his first love was wildlife biology, but music became his ultimate passion. By combining forces, these two created a musical sensation based on pure science.

“I really wanted to combine my passion for acoustics with biology,” Greene says. “This is a neat mixture of art and sciences.”

The two paired up and spent more than a year researching and breaking down black-capped chickadee vocalizations, with a majority of the work conducted at UM. The project culminated with Chickadee Symphony, which was performed in October in the University Theatre.

Before playing the symphony in its entirety, Greene, Naylor, and renowned UM conductor James Smart presented a short lecture. Greene played authentic chickadee calls as he explained the biology behind the unique acoustics. Naylor broke down the musical composition of the calls before Smart had his student musicians play the melodious version of the vocalizations.

The first movement in the piece illustrated the beauty of the world waking up. Naylor drew chuckles from the audience when he joked about how chickadees awake with one thing in mind: sex. That familiar “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call is essentially a mating call.

“It’s wonderfully evocative when the world is waking up,” Greene says.

A later movement in the piece called Danger reflected the threats chickadees face.

“Chickadees are like potato chips,” Naylor says. “Who can eat just one?”

Two predators, a great horned owl and a northern pygmy owl—aptly named iPod—were escorted into the hall. These predators may not seem vicious, but their ability to inflict terror on chickadees is not to be underestimated.

“People were really enthusiastic about the piece,” says Greene. “It’s a pretty rare thing to have that cross-fertilization between the arts and science. Craig Naylor has done some really neat, innovative things with sound in general. I would love to do something with him again.”

—Alyse Backus

Meet Grizwald, UM’s cartoon bear

Artwork by Neal Wiegert
In frequent issues of the Montanan, we provide a drawing of Grizwald that needs a creative, original caption. It’s up to you, our readers, to provide it. The winning contestant will receive a Griz stadium blanket. Send submissions to themontanan@umontana.edu.

Where’s Your GRIZ Been?

Chuck Hamilton ’88 sports his Griz gear outside Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, one of the most famous hot dog stands in the world. It’s located in Reykjavik, Iceland. “I put together a rugby tour to Iceland, which included twenty-two players and twelve supporters,” Hamilton says. His team played two matches against the Reykjavik Raiders and visited sites such as the Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir, the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, and Thingvellir, the site of the world’s first parliament more than 1,000 years ago. Congratulations, Chuck. You have won a $50 gift card for The Bookstore at UM.

Do you have a photo of yourself wearing your Griz gear in an amazing place or while on an incredible adventure? If so, send it along with a brief description to themontanan@umontana.edu. Winners will see their photo published in the Montanan and will receive a $50 gift card to The Bookstore at UM. To be considered, photos must be in focus with the UM or Griz logo clearly visible.

Facetime: Emily von Jentzen, J.D. ’09

Emily von Jentzen has accomplished what many considered impossible: the 2009 graduate of UM’s School of Law became the first woman to swim the length of Flathead Lake and the first person to swim the length of Lake Chelan in Washington. The swims, however, weren’t about individual achievements. Von Jentzen, a Flathead County deputy attorney, swam for two little girls fighting the battle of their lives. In 2010 von Jentzen swam the thirty-mile length of Flathead Lake in eighteen hours and twenty-six minutes for Missoula resident Karmyn Flanagan, a four-year-old battling leukemia. Kalispell resident Katelyn Roker, age six, fought stage-four high-risk neuroblastoma. The fifty-mile, nearly thirty-six-hour swim at Lake Chelan this past September was dedicated to her. The swims raised more than $17,000 to alleviate expenses for the girls and their families.

Why do you do these swims? I have always been into causes and fundraising. There are lots of organizations that help a lot of families but can’t give as much. I really wanted to have a big impact on one family. Basically, my thoughts are, if you can use something you love to help someone else, why wouldn’t you do it?

How do you train for the swims? There isn’t much information out there on proper training for swims of this magnitude. I pretty much used my collegiate swimming background [at Central Washington University] and my coaching knowledge. I basically built my own plan. It was a lot of swimming, but I still had to work. So I really had to make training sessions count.

What toll do the swims take on your body? During the last swim, I hallucinated, which was really weird. I have never had that happen before. I’m not sure if it was shock or hypothermia. I just knew I had to finish; I wasn’t getting back on the boat. Lake Chelan was a lot colder than people told me it would be. So the temperature was really difficult. The sheer exhaustion also was hard to overcome.

What is your strategy for overcoming such long distances? I always had to come back to the reason why I was swimming. If I were swimming just to prove I could do it, I may have quit and got back on the boat. At Lake Chelan, Katelyn was in the support boat right before the weather got bad. I just had to remember she doesn’t get to choose when she has cancer or when her treatments are.

How do you balance training with a new career? I would get up at 4:30 a.m. to fit in a two-hour swim before work. Swimming outside in the morning in the dark isn’t a very smart thing to do by yourself, so I spent most of the time in the pool. My job made it difficult though. The legal profession isn’t limited to nine-to-five. It was all about time management. I had to make a lot of sacrifices.

What is your relationship like with the girls you helped and their families? I see Karmyn fairly often. Her family is great, and I have become close with them. Her mom told me that she will pretend to swim in the bathtub and she will say, “Look! I’m like Emily!” I think she will look up to me for a while. Katelyn’s family lives in Kalispell, not very far from me. Unfortunately, Katelyn’s health took a turn for the worse. They found a brain tumor in early September, and she passed away. She fought really hard for two years. I would have still done the swim for her even knowing the outcome.

What effect have your swims and the girls had on you? I felt I did something I didn’t think was possible. Emotionally, it has been really hard to grasp the unfairness of it all. Katelyn had so much life in her. It is terrible to watch her family go through that. She was one of the toughest people, not just the toughest child. She just didn’t let cancer get her down.

What is recovery like after your swims? After my last swim, I had some health problems. As a preventative measure, I was taking ibuprofen during my swim. During the Flathead swim, my shoulders really hurt. So I wanted to take care of that before it got really bad. The doctor told me after that I had taken too much ibuprofen. They called it acute renal failure, which I thought was a little dramatic. It’s funny; here I was a week and a half out after my swim, and I just kept asking them if this would prevent me from doing something like this again. They just looked at me like I was nuts.

What’s next for you? I made my family a promise. I wouldn’t do a long swim in this next year. After two swims in two years, it’s been really tough on my family and friends’ support and my body. I really want to start a foundation. With a nonprofit I could get more fundraising accomplished. I also want to start a race series. There are so many lakes in Flathead County, and I think it would be neat to have some one-, two-, and three-mile open-water races.

—Interview by Alyse Backus

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