Way Out There
by Dan Klarmann, son

This is not a story about his high altitude research, nor his satellite missions. It is about his quirky physical prowess.
Pop was no athlete. He couldn’t run or jump, or throw or catch. However, he did enjoy getting around under his own steam. The most unusual mode of long distance auto-locomotion that he enjoyed was long distance swimming.
During our summer trips to Bull Shoals Lake all through my childhood, he would swim out from the safety of marked beaches, right across the recreational boat-ways out in the middle. We couldn't even see him from shore at his turn-around point, probably a full mile out.
In retrospect, it was just a point of luck that he didn't get run down, as most boaters don't watch for any craft smaller than their own. His head among the waves would never have been seen.
How did a man who couldn’t lift his left arm over his head swim? Sidestroke. For an hour at a time, he would kick like a frog and side-paddle his arms with his left shoulder up.
Perseverance was the key, but joy-of-motion was his lure.