Against the Tide
Olympic hero-turned-Orange County letter carrier Shirley Babashoff had the courage to speak out about East German sports doping in 1976. It’s time for the International Olympic Committee to give the legendary swimmer what she deserves.
By Chris Epting. Photographs by Max S. GerberOne evening in mid-August, a few friends and family gathered for an Olympics TV party in a wood-paneled Fountain Valley living room.
Michael Phelps was about to swim a relay in Beijing, on his way to another gold medal and a legacy as the most honored Olympic athlete in history. Our hostess had added festive touches to her home for the occasion: paper lanterns, souvenir fans, a couple of colorful parasols, and enough Chinese takeout to feed the Chinese army.
She disappeared shortly before the race started, and when she returned she was holding a blue canvas bag. She dropped it to the floor, and friends began pulling out eight 6-by-6-inch boxes, some made of wood, a few of them in black slips. A moment later they were gently passing around their contents: eight Olympic medals, two gold and six silver. She explained to her guests that a poolside engraver etched her name into them as she emerged from the water after each race and that one of the chains broke as it was hung around her neck on the podium. Then, more serious, she added: “There should be six golds there—and then my life would have really been different.”
With that comment the room went quiet. On the big screen, Phelps prepared to race toward destiny in China. But on that recent evening in Fountain Valley, there was an unmistakable sense that a long-ago destiny had been denied.
Realizing her melancholy comment had silenced the room, the hostess punctured the moment: “But I still love you guys, and I’m glad you’re here!”
My mother, who lives just around the corner from us in Huntington Beach, had been telling me about her letter carrier, Shirley. They chatted all the time and Mom was impressed with how funny and thoughtful she was.
Then I received an e-mail from Shirley: “You don’t know me, but I know your mom. I deliver her mail. I almost got to meet you yesterday, but I missed you. Anyway, I was talking to your mom and I had asked her if she was related to you, having seen your name on many of my son’s books and also seeing it in various articles. She is so proud of you!”
And then the kicker.