Summer Sanders is a Hall of Famer

Swimming, By Jeffrey Weidel, Gold Country News ServiceHer glory days as an athlete seem like a long time ago. In fact, a generation of young people probably have no idea that Summer Sanders was once among the finest swimmers in the world.She has certainly moved on, entering a world far removed from the grueling regimen of an Olympic swimmer. She spends much of her time staring into a television camera, not the lines at the bottom of the pool.Sanders is recognized now as Ahmad Rashad?s sidekick on ?NBA Inside Stuff.? The Roseville native contributes occasionally to The Today Show, has been involved in Olympic telecasts, and also continues to endorse different products.Time marches on and so does Sanders. Hard to believe the young lady who won two gold medals, a silver and one bronze in the 1992 Barcelona Games will turn 30 this October.?My swimming career seems like such a long time ago,? Sanders said.Still, she has not been forgotten in the swimming community.In early May, Sanders and nine other swimmers were inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.It was an evening Sanders shared with her entire family in Fort Lauderdale. Her father, mother and brother were at the induction dinner, which also honored Patty Elsener, Tom Gompf, Peg Hogan, Igor Poliansky, Eddie Reese, Terry Schroeder, Jill Sterkel, Melvin Stewart and George Zacharias.?Summer was among a pretty impressive group of people,? said Bob Sanders, Summer?s father. ?It?s pretty difficult getting (son) Trevor and I in a tux, but it was worth it.?It was a long journey from beginning SugarBears swimmer to Olympic hero. Sanders spent much of her youth in pools in and around Roseville. She became the young prodigy of Mike Hastings, who saw tremendous potential at an early age.?She knew how to find the holes in the water,? said Hastings, who coached Sanders at California Capital Aquatics.Following Olympic glory, Sanders quickly moved on. There was an attempt to make the 1996 Olympic team that failed, but mostly she has closed the door on swimming.?I treasure those times, but I don?t miss them at all,? she said. ?It was wonderful to be honored by the Hall of Fame. Standing up there next to someone like (four-time Olympic medalist) Jill Sterkel was exceptional. I think I will appreciate it even more in the years to come.?Yet, clearly, she is at another place. The former darling of the swimming scene is now entrenched in life as a New Yorker. That began in July 1998, when she was named co-host of ?NBA Inside Stuff.?It was not love at first sight for Sanders and New York City. She tried to live as a Californian, using her car more frequently than was warranted. There were plenty of hassles involved with driving. She was not enamored with other parts of the crowded city, either.?That first year I hated it,? said Sanders, who lived in the city with her now-divorced husband, Mark Henderson. ?I had no idea what to do. I had to find my niche.?That niche was discovered. In his recent visit, Bob Sanders was amazed to see the life his daughter now lives.?Summer has become a part of the social scene,? he said. ?She goes to a lot of benefits. She knows all of the movers and shakers in New York. ?But she is still the same Summer.?Like all Americans, her world was rocked Sept. 11 when terrorists brought down the twin towers. Sanders was in Los Angeles and watched the horror develop in her adopted city.?It was an indescribable feeling you have,? Sanders said. ?My boyfriend was born and bred in New York. We were just so saddened, so distraught. But we also couldn?t wait to get back there. If any city can overcome what happened, New York can.?The Big Apple is her adopted city, but Roseville is not forgotten. She is proud to be immortalized by the Summer Sanders Roseville Aquatic Center, the 50-meter pool that was never around when she was a gypsy, going from pool to pool for practice.She was recently in Roseville for a visit and is scheduled to return June 24 to host the Summer Sanders Safety & Sports Spectacular.It?s her way of giving back.?I still love this area and want to stay involved,? she said. ?I really appreciate coming back home.?