NAC Masters: Getting to Know Oscar Guillamondegui

Oscar Guillamondegui

 

Tell us about your athletic history—what have you done and what are you doing/training for now? 

I swam through high school and also ran cross country into freshman year in college. I then became a nihilist in residency—suffering from the standard effects of being ‘on-call' every other night, for ten years (seriously-36 to 44 hours in a row for ten years). I arrived in Nashville out of shape and had no desire to change it.  The impetus to get in shape began when I asked my wife, Tarah, if we could start a family.  The response was that I had two choices: continue living the lifestyle we were living and NOT have children or, get into shape and be around for their graduation from college.  I started riding the bike, a lot.  After dropping forty pounds, I started racing. It was an interesting ride with many injuries: I ran off the road and broke my left hand: I then crashed and separated my left shoulder: I got hit by a car, head on, and broke five ribs: I crashed and broke my right clavicle and three ribs: I ran into the back of a car and broke my left clavicle, along with five ribs. Finally, on my 51 ^st   birthday, I received a small box with a pair of goggles and a swim cap…and an ultimatum.

 

I got in the water seven months ago without a goal, without knowledge of what I was doing or how I was going to do it.  Ashley Whitney changed that.  She is an inspiration.  She set my first goal to finish a workout in the far left lane. We set a second goal to gain confidence.  I am not saying that we cannot do things without a mission (maybe it started with the being around for Bella and Gabe’s graduation) but, ultimately, there isn’t a person in the pool, in the bike lane, running down Belmont, that will sustain that activity if there is not a point in doing so.  My current goal is to swim in lane four next to those really fast guys who don’t talk to anyone. Also, I’m looking at the USMS meet in Arizona.

 

How has coach Ashley changed your abilities in and out of the water? 

 

Ashley Whitney has  positivity  in her DNA.  She inspires me to be better than I think I could be.  She is observant.  She cares, a lot, and it shows.  She apparently never forgets a name —which is amazing.  I love watching her continually point out aspects of each swimmer’s stroke that can be improved upon. She also relays information in a non-threatening way that just makes you want to get better.  Ashley  gets human nature.  As a teacher, I am envious of her ability to convey information in a format that is comprehendible and inspirational—this is most likely her greatest attribute and makes her coaching so important.  Her style has taught me patience when teaching my students, residents and junior faculty with a new found calmness that I didn’t have six months ago.  As for NAC, it’s NAC.  The masters group is amazing and, as I try to emulate Kathy’s underwater dolphin kick, it is because I am inspired by such incredible people.

 

Why do you get up so early?How does it help your day?

 

I am an early riser.  I am awake and ready to go the second I get up.  Not that anyone should be up at 4am but, now that I am doing it, it’s not that difficult.  I leave every practice with a sense of accomplishment.  Every sinew in my body is getting stronger, gaining endurance and building a sense of calm that carries through the rest of the day.  I feel as if the swimming flushes the erratic out of my brain.

 

Tell us about your life outside the pool ? 

 

I am a trauma surgeon.  I live, breath, think, teach and do trauma surgery.  Trauma surgeons are not emergency room physicians.  We are surgeons who operate on trauma patients (gunshot wounds, stabbings, motor vehicle crashes, etc) and emergencies like appendicitis.  This takes up most of my life outside the family. As for the family, they are amazing! Tarah, my wife, works harder than I do, Isabella (13) and Gabriel (9) swim for NAC, run fast and do triathlons in their spare time.

 

As for the stress, I believe most people garner the amount of stress they are capable of handling.  I feel like the stress associated with academia and trauma surgery are no different than any other stress that life throws at us.  Maybe the swimming tires me out to allow me to sleep better but, I honestly don’t know.

 

What about your family? Where are you from?

 

My wife is a New York broad with more common sense than I can handle.  We have two kids (above) and I am ranked fourth or fifth behind them and the dog, sometimes the cat.  I find my only solace in the fact that  I am a Texan, born and raised.  I will always be a Texan.  They can never take that from me.  

 

 

Your favorite NAC Masters Swimming moment?

 

My favorite early moment in swimming was when Dr. David Ehrenfeld told me I needed to get a better swim suit, wear a swim cap and put my goggles on correctly…welcome to NAC.