Middletown begins to welcome home a hero
By Doug mckenzie
Staff Writer

DOUG MCKENZIE Olympic bronze-medalist Tom Wilkens took time to return to his former elementary school, St. Mary’s in Middletown, last week to meet with the students and faculty and discuss his Olympic experience.

You would have thought that Bruce Springsteen, or maybe the Back-street Boys, were in the building the way the kids at the St. Mary’s School gymnasium in Middletown were acting on Thursday.

All of the kids, in grades K-8, filed into the gym in a frenzied manner, with a look of anticipation that only an excited child can provide.

But they were not waving posters or T-shirts on Oct. 12, for this was a different kind of celebrity coming to their gym. Instead, they were waving American flags, some, in their excitement, treating them as their newest toys rather than as the symbol of our nation.

But they realized they were in for a special treat, nonetheless. They were gathering to welcome home a hero — a young man who 10 years ago sat in the same classrooms they inhabit five days a week, learning from many of the same teachers they learn from today.

Olympic bronze-medalist Tom Wilkens was coming back to the school where his education began, and was about to tell the students and faculty of the tremendous journey he has taken since his days at the school. And he was looking forward to this moment as a means of sharing his triumph with many of the people who helped make it possible.

He had a lot of stories to tell about his journey from St. Mary’s to Sydney.

As he stood outside the gymnasium, Wilkens, 24, admitted to feeling a bit overwhelmed by the whole experience. Upon his arrival at the school at about 9:30 a.m., he had to be ushered into the teachers’ lounge, as his mere presence had the children not remembering their teachers’ orders to file into the gymnasium in an orderly fashion. But who could really blame them? After all, they were looking at a real-life hero.

Once the students were in their seats, Wilkens re-emerged, slapping high-fives with the last of the students entering the gym. His face showed the same calmness that we saw as he stood poolside only moments before his triumphant swim in the 200-meter individual medley. He may have been nervous, but he wasn’t showing it.

"This whole experience has been pretty wild," the grinning Wilkens said. "I really didn’t expect anything like this."

The students in the gymnasium were beginning to get restless as the last of the classes were seated. And as he walked toward the gym, Wilkens began to put the entire experience into perspective.

"Part of my goal was to bring something back for the whole town, because it was part of this," he said. "It’s great to bring this home. This is not something you do alone."

As he walked into the gym, the students rose in unison, waving their flags and snapping pictures, while Wilkens strode slowly to the stage. Students and faculty members alike applauded him as he took his place next to the school’s principal, Dr. William Smith.

Smith opened the assembly by reading the township’s proclamation declaring Oct. 22 as "Tom Wilkens Day."

"Obviously this is a very exciting day for us," Smith said. "We’re welcoming back a graduate who has distinguished himself in the Olympics."

Wilkens was gracious throughout his speech, reminiscing on his days at St. Mary’s, the place where he said "everything began for me."

He spoke of his days at the school with fond recollection, calling himself a "skinny, dorky kid with glasses," who was voted as the student with the most school spirit.

He ran down the list of teachers he had during his days at the school, pointing many of them out as they sat in the crowd, beaming with pride.

"I can’t tell you what all of your support means to me," he said. "I still hold St. Mary’s in a place close to my heart."

He then took out his bronze medal, bringing many of those in attendance to their feet once again. But he made sure to explain the significance of the medal, as he placed it around his neck.

"This medal is ultimately just a piece of metal," he said. "Its value lies in what it represents. It symbolizes my effort and hard work. My medal is not about the moment I touched the wall, but the long path it took to get there."

Wilkens encouraged the students to take pride in who they are, adding that in order to achieve your goals, you have to first be in touch with them. He stressed the importance of individual accomplishments, saying they have different meanings to different people.

"Success is not always about coming in first, or making the most money, or being the most popular," he said. "It’s the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you did your best. ... For me, I know I swam the best race I could. I’m proud of my achievement and of who I am."

From there, Wilkens spoke of his experiences at Christian Brothers Academy and Stanford University, where he actively began training for the Olympic trials as a sophomore.

He detailed his mind-set at this year’s Olympic trials, where he went through a highly publicized roller-coaster of emotions as he failed to qualify in his best event (the 400-meter IM) before earning his spot in both the 200 IM and the 200-meter breaststroke.

"When I didn’t make the team at first, my dream was still so far away," he said. "It was a pretty tough time for me. I was pretty upset.

"But I never quit," he added. "The next day was a new day, and now I’m thankful for my persistence."

He told of the feeling of jubilation he felt when he qualified for the final of the 200 IM, where he finished third by just 15 one hundredths of a second.

"When I touched the wall in third, it was one of the most exciting moments of my life," he said.

After a brief slide show, in which he explained some of the highlights of his experience in Sydney, Wilkens took time to mention the tremendous support network of family, friends, teachers and teammates that helped make all of his accomplishments possible.

"You don’t just wake up one day and suddenly you’re in the Olympics," he said. "I had a lot of help along the way."

So now, Wilkens will continue to tour his hometown, sharing his accomplishments with as many people as possible. "Tom Wilkens Day" will include a parade Sunday, culminating in a ceremony on the Mater Dei High School football field.

From there, he’ll head back to California to train for the March World Championships in Austin, Texas, with an eye on the 2004 Olympics.

But even if we’ve seen the last of Wilkens in an Olympic pool, the image of him touching the wall in Sydney will be a lasting one for everyone who helped him get there.