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Legendary Sacramentan - Sherm Chavoor

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Real Estate Agent

Sherm Chavoor
Sherm Chavoor

 

 

As the current Olympics in Beijing draw to a close, I'd like to take this opportunity to honor a historic Sacramento person, who helped catapult our area into the limelight of Olympic Swimming for three decades.

Sherm Chavoor, founder of the Arden Hills Swim and Tennis Club, developed and opened the hallowed ground (and waters) under his single proprietorship in 1954. 

This private club, in Carmichael, offered swim and tennis facilities for members; and the waters of the pools became magical to many competitive swimmers, who were trained under the watchful eyes and wizzardry of the Merlinesc Chavoor. 

Chavoor's training consisted of the  barking of incantations of swimming farther and faster than anyone else (revolutionary over-distance training), his aqua alchemy produced swimmers who were awarded a total of 31 Olympic medals - 21 of them Gold medals.  His champions set more than 200 world and American records. 

One of the swimmers became Chavoor's Lancelot in the pool.  Mark Spitz, became the ultimate victor of nine Olympic Gold medals - two in the 1968 Mexican Olympics and seven in the Munich Olympics of 1972. In addition to accumulation of Gold medals, Spitz also obtained a Silver medal, and a Bronze in the 1968 Mexican Olympics.

Triple Gold medallists, include Debbie Meyer (1968 Mexico Olympics) and Mike Burton (1968 Mexico & 1972 Munich Olympics).

Also included in the Arden Hills Swimming Dynasty, were Sue Pederson with two Gold medals and two Silver medals (1968 Mexico Olympics); John Nelson - one Gold medal, and one Bronze medal; Mike Burton - Three Gold medals total (2 Golds in 1968 Mexico Olympics & 1 Gold in 1972 Munich Olympics); Ellie Daniel - One gold medal, one Silver medal, and one Bronze medal in 1968 Mexico Olympics; Jeff Float - One Gold medal in 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.


In 1985 Coach Chavoor retired from his illustrious career.  And in 1992 Sacramento lost this special legendary giant, who succumbed to Pancreatic Cancer!

Written by: Myrl Jeffcoat

 

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Comments (5)

Lori Mode
The Mode Real Estate Group - Elk Grove, CA
Real Estate Made Simple

Myrl - as a Sacramento native, I remember hearing about Sherm Chavoor my whole life it seems!  He truly did "help catapult our area into the limelight of Olympic Swimming for three decades."  And what a great swim club he founded.  My youngest daughter was very involved in swimming in the Elk Grove area for many years and the Olympanian swimmers were very important to her as role models.  Thank you for the memories!

Aug 20, 2008 05:27 PM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

Lori - Thank you for your response.  Sherm was a very close friend and confident of mine, for many years.  My kids, swam at Arden Hills, and those were indeed very golden days! 

Aug 20, 2008 05:36 PM
Steve Hoffacker
Steve Hoffacker LLC - West Palm Beach, FL
Certified Aging In Place Specialist-Instructor

Myrl,

Thanks for the very timely post. Often we are unanware of or tend to forget the important contributions of pioneers.

Steve

Aug 21, 2008 06:18 AM
Gena Riede
Riede Real Estate, Lic. 01310792 - Sacramento, CA
Real Estate Broker - Sacramento CA Real Estate (916) 417-2699

Myrl, thank for sharing a bit of nostalgia and honoring Sacramento for its accomplishments. I had no idea the magnitude of olympic medal winners that were produced from this visionary. Thanks for sharing.  Certainly make us all feel very proud.

Aug 21, 2008 09:24 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

Steve - Thanks for your comments.  Yes, it's important to remember our important contributors and pioneers.

Gena -For those of us in the Sacramento area, who may also be familiar with the Park Terrace Swim and Tennis Club near Land Park, you may be interested in knowing that Sherm Chavoor also founded that club as well.  It's founding preceded Arden Hills by a mere few years.  Sherm had hoped to manifest his swimming vision there, but founded Park Terrace with a Board of Directors, who soon usurped his vision with their own ideas.  It became the catalyst for Sherm moving on to found Arden Hills as a solitary owner and proprietor, and ultimately see his dream come into fruition.

There is one other piece of trivia about Coach Chavoor.  He didn't really know how to swim himself.  There is a little story about how the team almost lost him, when he was unexpectedly thrown into a pool during a victory celebration:-) 

Aug 21, 2008 12:25 PM