Long Bridge Swim: MS did not stop Tom Peterson from crossing the finish line

SANDPOINT — In 2003, Tom Peterson lost function of his legs shortly after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

"Never in a million years” did he think he would become wheelchair bound, Tom said. Despite the newfound adversity, he didn't lose his positive outlook, athletic drive or zest for life. Twenty years later, he is a finisher of the Long Bridge Swim.

Tom, born and raised in Spokane, was never a swimmer, but he was in fact an all-around athlete during his high school years at Shadle Park. He always enjoyed competing with others and staying in shape, and that is one thing that never changed after his diagnosis.

Looking to keep active, Tom resorted to the one sport where you don’t necessarily need your legs, swimming. Nowadays, it’s one of the things that he loves to do the most.

“I joined a support group after being diagnosed with MS and would always tell others in the group how beneficial swimming could be for them,” Tom said. “I have been in the pool consistently for at least 15 years now.”

Tom’s son, Seth, was not a swimmer either, but he missed doing athletic things with his father. Together, after lots of convincing by Seth, the two set out on a mission to finish side-by-side during this year’s LBS — a feat that they accomplished with a couple of added obstacles.

Before the start, Tom and Seth missed a handful of bus shuttles and found themselves at the back of the start line, which posed a bit of a challenge. After some swimmers had noticed this, they began to part and make a path so that Tom and Seth could get in the water.

“The swimmers at this event were so amazing,” Tom said. “When everyone was cheering me on at the start of the race — I was so happy.”

About a quarter mile in, Tom and Seth faced some other malfunctions. Tom’s wetsuit top turned out to be too big, so he had to discard it. He would finish the race in just his swim trunks. Not only that, but it would be remiss to not mention that Tom did all of this with just one good arm.

“I never really felt tired or threatened; I never felt like I was going to drown,” Tom said. “However, I had trouble swimming freestyle, as I could only do 10 to 20 strokes at a time with my right arm. I did a lot of the race on my back.”

Over the course of their two-hour swim, Tom and Seth laughed and had fun. Tom remembered repeatedly being asked if he was going to make it to the end, to which he replied yes, every time. The two also joked about how they thought it was only going to take them one hour to complete the swim. Once the two crossed the finish line, their smiles and laughter did not fade.

A large crowd rallied around and cheered for Tom as he reached shore and was lifted back into his wheelchair. Both Tom and Seth said they felt proud of each other after they crossed the finish line.

“I was looking forward to this for a long time,” Seth said. “The people apart of this race helped out so much and that's what made this such a great experience.”

Tom and Seth both plan on doing the race again next year; Tom will look to reclaim first place in the “wheelchair division” — a division that consisted of just himself. Tom said he would do the race again tomorrow if he could.

“As long as I keep moving forward everything is going to be okay — just got to keep moving,” Tom said. “I was looking to possibly inspire some others by completing the LBS, but ultimately I did it for myself and my health.”

The Peterson family as a whole said it was a lifetime accomplishment that they will never forget, and a very special day for all who got to witness. The family wanted to thank the staff who helped plan out the logistics to ensure Tom was comfortable and that the entire process was smooth and seamless.