Staley said time at the camp, which only has open water, helped young swimmers like Meyer develop the creativity necessary to thrive in open water competition, and that Meyer loved that aspect of the event.

By the time he was a teenager, Meyer traveled to Florida and California to compete against grown adults, and he did well. Eventually, he discovered that, while he may have been among the best in the pool, he had the endurance to excel in the marathon races.

“Anything that makes the race more difficult, he really thrives on,” Gray said. “I think he swam open water a little bit, but he really started excelling at it late in his college career. The pool just wasn’t long enough.

“The longer the better,” Gray added. “The more pain most people get and the more pain he can inflict on people, the better he can do.”

Following each college season, Meyer continued going to Fort Myers to compete in an open water race, and by 2009, he was named to USA select team for open water swimming.

I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP

When Meyer began competing internationally following his 2010 graduation, he reunited with Fran Crippen, a swimmer with whom he had roomed in a visit to Virginia during the recruiting process.  At that time, Meyer looked up to Fran and hoped to emulate him.

“He learned a lot from Fran Crippen, who was kind of the elder statesmen in open water,” Gray said.

The summer after graduation, Meyer won the 25k at the 2010 FINA world championships, and began eyeing the Olympics once again.

“I think it was this kind of dream that he and Fran kind of devised together,” Shawn Meyer said. “I think he probably started seeing the potential when he was on the national team, but it was just a fleeting, passing thought in 2009. Then in 2010, when he won the 25k and then was traveling on the world circuit with Fran, I’m sure they did a lot of talking and planning.”

In the 2010 Pan Pacific championships, Meyer showed his remarkable determination again as he attempted to race while battling sickness.

“He hadn’t eaten in a couple of days,” Shawn Meyer said. “He couldn’t hold anything down.  I said to him, ‘Don’t let your pride have the potential to hurt you.’”

Meyer still attempted to race but fell behind the pack. Crippen, aware of Meyer’s sickness because the two had roomed together like always, turned around to go back and check on Meyer, who eventually withdrew. Crippen then turned back around and raced back up to the front of the pack, ultimately finishing in second. The two had become inseparable allies working on their way to the Olympics.

THE ELDER STATESMAN

One week before an event in Dubai, Meyer had an appendectomy. Despite the setback, he still considered racing in the event, or possibly one a few days later at the same location. Either way, Meyer was certain that he had to go to Dubai to support his friend Crippen.