Kevin Crossman swimming in a recent competion.  Inset - Left Kevin Crossman, Right Paul FronhoferII after the GreenLake State Park YMCA Triathalon (Kevin finished in 1st and Paul in 2nd for their respective age groups).

For years we have been sponsoring athletes ranging from peewee wrestling clubs to Olympic hopefuls. This summer we are sponsoring Kevin Crossman in his first attempt at the prestigious Lake Placid Ironman competition. Kevin has been training seriously for this event for the past year. Since the beginning of May he has competed in four tri events in preparation of the Ironman. In his first competition, the Ithaca Tri for the “Y” he placed third out of 147 competitors missing second place by only two seconds. This gave him confidence that his training was on schedule. Kevin will be competing in approximately one event each week until the Ironman while continuing to train vigorously each day. His goal is to finish the Ironman healthy and to have a strong age group ranking at the National level (ages 20-24). His true motivation however, lies in the challenge and the self-gratification he gets from competing.

Kevin is a graduate of Queensbury High School where he still holds several swimming records. He is also a graduate of Cortland College, where he was captain of the swim team and although he still holds records for Cortland, his All-American status achieved as a senior was probably the height of his swim career. Kevin went on to coach the Cortland swim team and now teaches and runs the aquatics program at Owego High School.

We’ll keep you posted on how he does in the Ironman.

Usually my best ideas aren’t really my ideas at all. The only thing I can take credit for is the ability to apply those ideas in slightly different applications. This is the advice that one of my best friends gave me. Don Bates, whom I did my apprenticeship with 20 years ago and now the owner of Bates Construction, is one of those people that never cease to amaze me. Every time you see one of those clever or creative things he’s done he will not take credit for it.

The gift is not to be so smart that you can reinvent the wheel every time you approach a new project. The gift is to be able to use abstract ideas in novel applications. Get away from the tunnel vision that doesn’t allow you to explore every possible option. Take a second look at some of the cleverest people you know. Chances are they don’t have tons more knowledge than you, they just know where to look and how to apply it.

What happens with most people is they get stuck on the first idea that comes to them when trying to solve a problem. Do this little test; the next time you’re faced with having to solve a problem, force yourself to come up with three solutions. After you have weighed all the pro’s and con’s, you can pick the best idea to move forward with. This will exercise your imagination, a muscle you may not have used in a while.