2011 SU Update: Family Unites through Swimming

Proud Dad Ron Mckeon at the Pool side where his son David Mckeon won the 400m men’s freestyle final

SHENZHEN – Susie and Ron Mckeon met at the Bucharest Universiade 30 years ago. Yesterday night the circle closed.

David Mckeon, who trains under his father, won gold in the 400-meter men’s freestyle final, timed in 3:48:78. Dad watched from the side of the pool.

“I am extremely proud,” Ron Mckeon said – so proud that when David stepped onto the podium, Ron called Susie back home in Australia so she could be at the games, too.

Ron met Susie at the 1981 Universiade in Bucharest. Susie won silver in the 200m butterfly at that Universiade and in 1983 she won gold in the 100 and 200m butterfly at the Univerisiade in Sofia. Ron won – well, Ron won Susie. They were married a few years later.

Mom and Dad introduced David to the pool at an early age. But David preferred basketball. “He didn’t feel it (swimming) was for him and that was fine,” Ron Mckeon said.

It wasn’t until David Mckeon was 16 that he decided to try swimming competitively.

“To his surprise he did really well, so he started swimming again,” Ron Mckeon said.

David Mckeon said he doesn’t see his father as a coach, but rather as Dad.  

“We never take stuff home. We leave everything at the pool and when we come back, we sort it out then,” he said.

David Mckeon’s uncle, Rob Woodhouse, is also a swimming gold medallist from the 1987 Universiade, which brings the total medal tally in the family up to seven, including four golds.

David Mckeon’s swims in Shenzhen are now done. His next order of business: training for the Australian Olympic Trials in March of 2012.

(Source: Dominick Czakilew, FISU-AIPS Young Reporter/Australia)