"Being chosen as the team's Ironman has become a great honor, and it was a great honor for me." George said. "It's not something I'd ever do again, but..."
The Ironman is traditionally selected by means of a team vote. Usually, the honors have gone to a member of the distance or individual medley training group, whose swimmers are usually thought to have more endurance. This year, however, the team chose a sprint backstroker.
Members of the team commented that their decision was swayed by George's enthusiasm for the challenge. According to teammates, George had admitted that although he was unsure if he could complete all 14 swimming events, he claimed he would die trying.
"It was difficult for me," George, originally from Trinidad, said. "Maybe if I hadn't been a sprinter...but I was able to see what I could do personally, and I was able to represent the sprinters. It was a great challenge, as painful as it was.
"While the Ironman was important, more important was how the team came together and came one step closer to achieving our goals for the season."
The Crimson, which looks to garner its sixth-straight Eastern Championship this March, faces its next competition away vs. Brown Jan. 27.