An Olympic encounter

It started with a newspaper article. I was reading the paper and read about this young man who qualified for the Olympic trials. He swims for a team like Jack's and also goes to high school at my alma mater. And he is 16 years old. I was instantly intrigued for so many reasons. First, ask Jack what he wants to be when he grows up and he will tell you an Olympic swimmer. It never changes, this is his true desire. And a 16 year old who qualified for trials, I have so much admiration for the dedication it must take. I gave the article to Jack and he was hooked. He cut it out, circled the picture of this young man, and wrote "me in the future." It hangs on his bulletin board.
So because I love my son deeply and thought this would be an incredible opportunity for him, I looked this family up, made a completely randon phone call, and explained that Jack would love to meet their son and ask him some questions. Can you imagine getting a phone call like that from a stranger? But this sweet mom called me back and after a series of back and forths, we set up a meeting with Jack and N.
I have to say N. was wonderful. He was so nice, spent a lot of time talking to Jack, answered all his questions, and signed his kick board. What a special young man and you can bet our prayers with be with him this summer during the Olympic trials. Anyone who works that hard deserves the best and we will be routing for him wholeheartedly.
And if this young man ends up in the Olympics, we will be watching intensely, cheering him on. And if not, he will continue to be a superstar and our sons idol for a very long time.
So thank you N. for your time and know that we think your great, enchanting and can't wait to follow your story. We loved watching you swim and will continue watching you race. Jack is enamored and has new goals now. He wants to work harder, to be just like you.