Jackie Placak, Mother Knows Best
Jackie Placak has always been at the side of her children, enabling them to develop and enjoy their love of swimming all their lives. “I taught them all to swim,” said the personable Swim Mom. “Bob is 22 months older than his twin sisters Nancy and Linda. I was there for them during all those morning workouts; I took them to swim meets and all over. All the way to when they were competing for UCLA at the NCAA Championships for the Bruins.”
It is clear that the effort was great, but the rewards were clearly even greater.
“They worked so hard and were diligent. Bob and Nancy were the butterflyers and Linda was our backstroker. And then Bob really got into open water swimming too.”
That is a most accurate statement about his eldest child Bob, the founder of the RCP Tiburon Mile, the professional-amateur race in San Francisco Bay.
Whether or not, her son Bob was a fast age-group competitive swimmer, an NCAA champion, a Pan American medalist, or an open water race director, swim mother Jackie has been there every step and stroke of the way. Always supportive, never pushy. Always willing to help out in every way possible, at home, on pool decks, and in the open water.
Photo courtesy of Elliott Karlan shows Jackie Placak onboard the Alpha Boat at the RCP Tiburon Mile.
Copyright © 2013 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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