Lauren Lejeune

I recently found myself sitting in the Kenai, Alaska, airport for a work trip, praying to the good lord that I would make it safely back to Anchorage. We were going to take a little puddle jumper plane to our destination, with the wind a moderate roar that swept the long grass outside into a frenzy.

There was also no TSA, no notes of warnings or protections of any sort, that I can only guess most people saw pre Sept. 11 (I was in utero, with no experience of the finer things in life before we went into the war on terror). In my mixture of confusion, I asked a couple if I was in the right place and doing all that I needed to get to my final destination. With small smiles and a good dose of reassurance, they left me to my own devices, taking the next flight out. I would soon follow, which was a whole experience in itself. If you ever have the chance to fly in a little plane, take it — but know you’ll white knuckle it for at least a little while.

Fast forward a few hours and I’m sitting at the next gate that will take me to the North Slope. I’m reading a book, having coffee, when my very helpful new acquaintances take a seat next to me — Andy and Maria. They ask me how my flight was, what I’m doing in Alaska, the usual and casual questions you ask fellow travelers. I do the same, learning they are visiting one of their daughters. 

Next, they ask where I’m from, in which I say I’m from a small town outside of Cody (because who really knows where Powell is besides Wyoming people?), and they tell me they’re from Boulder, Colorado. I tell them my swim coach from high school is from there, Bob Smartt. That one name created a bridge between three strangers: Bob coached their two daughters back in Colorado.

After much excitement, we settled into a lengthy discussion. If you have not had the pleasure of meeting Bob Smartt, you’re missing out. Just head on down to the Powell Aquatic Center between the months of July and November and you are bound to run into him. Bob coaches the Powell High School girls’ swim team, moving from Boulder each summer and making the trek farther north to spend time with Wyomingites. 

I remember when I first met Bob my sophomore year. Swimming was something I did to pass the time, more so focused on academics than sports. I wasn’t horrible, but I wasn’t great, which I was perfectly fine with. And then Bob came into the picture. As every athlete will say of their coach, I have never met someone so dedicated to their craft. Besides moving all the way here, Bob was an integral part of each swimmer’s life, something Andy and Maria both agreed on.

Bob helped foster a strong team bond, encouraging us to do activities together outside of the pool. He attended our different activities outside of swimming, even coming to the Park County Fair to watch us show our fair animals in the sale. He also was a bloodhound for bad grades, class attendance and making sure we got to where we needed to go every single day. He wanted us to be successful, not only in the pool, but our day-to-day lives. 

We also excelled in the pool under his supervision. We had personalized workouts, he knew all of us and our exact needs and quirks and strived to offer us the best that he could. I’ve never eaten so many protein bars, or drank so much chocolate milk as I did during my time as a swimmer, all things Bob wanted us to have and willingly brought in these massive totes in his little blue car every single day. 

Even though I am almost five years removed from my days of swimming, I am so thankful to have had a coach who put so much stock into my life, not just in the pool. It is a true testament to Bob Smartt’s character, and the reach of that spreads far and wide all the way to a little airport on the last frontier. Julia and Regina from Fairview Swimming, myself and many more Powell athletes will always hold a special place for swimming, more so for Coach Smartt.