Are 512 pushups too many for a swimmer? A Missouri jury says no

Read The Wichita Eagle

Five hundred twelve pushups.

Twice.

That’s 1,024 pushups.

Alexandra “Ali” Swee, now a Memphis, Tenn., college student, says she was told to do them one night five years ago during a Blue Springs practice when she was a 13-year-old member of the Kansas City Blazers swim club.

She contended the excessive pushups represented punishment dished out by her coach and contributed to shoulder pain that continues today. Her family filed suit, seeking money for past and future medical expenses related to her shoulder issues.

Her former coach and representatives of USA Swimming, the national organization with which the Blazers are affiliated, maintained the pushups were part of an occasional exercise intended to motivate swimmers to improve their speed.

Late Friday, a Jackson County jury ruled for the defendants.

Image courtesy of lachicaresaka, CC BY-ND 2.0