Zook Triumphs at Paralympics, Takes Home Third Gold while Breaking World Record in 100M Backstroke
Life Time Swim - October 11, 2012
On September 4, 2012, Justin Zook said the beginning of his world-record, gold medal-winning 100-meter Backstroke began as most of his swims do. It was “a mediocre start” with the hope that he would catch his competition by the turn at the 50-meter mark.
Upon his flip turn, Zook looked at the scoreboard to spot where his competition was in the water. It was then Zook realized that he was in a great position to make a move for the win right out of his turn.
“I pushed the tempo a bit, but kept everything under control as I knew the last 20 meters were going to be a battle,” he said.
Zook prevailed, garnering a world-record time in the 100-meter Backstroke of 1:00.01. He also won his third, consecutive gold medal in the event at the Paralympics.
Upon winning Zook said, “I honestly could not believe I had won, but at the same time, I was extremely excited to go share the moment with my parents in the stands. I actually went upstairs prior to receiving my medal quickly just to give my mom and dad a hug.”
Even though Zook was hoping for a sub-one minute time (59.99 seconds), he was pleased with his third gold medal and setting a new world record. “I had the best race I could have asked for and everything worked out in my favor on that given day. Crazy to think about winning three gold medals in the same event, but this was the goal ever since I decided to get back into the event.”
What makes the victory even more remarkable is that Zook was swimming with an injured shoulder. “I was swimming two months ago and I felt something pop. We’re still trying to figure out what is wrong.”
In addition, Zook was re-classified in his swimming events only four days before the games began, competing alongside athletes with a lower level of disability, throwing a curveball toward his Paralympic success. Regardless, he came out on top.
Zook compared this win against his two previous gold medal swims. “The first gold medal was really the most pure medal I have ever won. No pressure, just pure victory, which I still cannot believe happened 8 years later.”
He said that at the Beijing games in 2008, the pressure was on and the victory met the expectations others had for him. This time his win was a culmination of both pure victory and exceeding others’ expectations.
“The experience was different than the other two, more because I am in a much different place in my life,” he said.
In his previous games, Zook’s life was focused solely on the sport of swimming. Following the Beijing games, however, his life outlook changed. His mother Jeanine was diagnosed with Melanoma, or skin cancer, which she survived. His father Stuart then began his battle with Prostate Cancer in 2011. Zook’s desire to be closer with his family, whom live in Florida, and have a better life balance became his first priority.
“I am moving on from working with Life Time and will be coaching in Miami with Miami Country Day Aquatics as their Head Age Group Coach. The decision comes from my desire to be much closer to my family who live in Fort Lauderdale.”
Zook said he could not be more thankful to Life Time for providing him with training resources and an opportunity to coach the Minnesota Bears Swim Team, based out of Life Time Fitness Plymouth. He said, “ I owe a lot of my success to the families on the Minnesota Bears Swim Team, as they made me really enjoy swimming again. Seeing an eight-year-old smile every day and jump into the water really brought a lot of the joy.”
For those with golden dreams of Olympic and Paralympic grandeur, Zook offered this advice. “I think the most important part about succeeding is finding a great support system and always believing in yourself. No matter what, a positive attitude and outlook can make the biggest difference in the outcome. Remember, one bad race does not ruin the whole weekend. Get back up and get after the next race.”
Though Zook is unsure if he’ll head to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for the next summer games, he is taking a much-needed break from swimming. “I think being away from the pool as an athlete will be nice. “
Looking toward the future, Zook is excited about his opportunities in Florida and may consider starting a foundation of his own. “The Paralympics is a great organization for disabled athletes, but at the same time, I want to help make parents believe that there are other outlets out there. You probably have to take your kid to a doctor appointment, then to soccer practice and then back to the doctor. This is a unique situation for a parent and is something that could use more support.”
One way Zook is reaching toward this goal is by acting as a spokesperson for the Mac Crutchfield Foundation, which funds college swim scholarships and Special Olympics swim meets. He attended a beach party upon his return to the U.S. from London with fellow Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte in Panama City, Fl.
Zook would like to thank his family, including his parents Jeanine and Stuart, his coach Tom Franke, training partners Anna Eames and Kayla Doctor and Life Time Swimming for his successes.