Airman backstrokes to victory in Europe

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Though the 4th Fighter Wing's slogan of "Fourth but First" was earned in the skies of World War II-era Europe, one Airman proved the slogan is also relevant to European waters.

Second Lt. Lindsey Kirchhoff, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron section commander, led her team to a first-place victory in NATO's Allied Air Component Command swimming competition in Zakopane, Poland, April 16.

As a member of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe women's swim team, she won the 100-meter backstroke and anchored the winning 4 x 100 freestyle relay team, defeating airmen from Poland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Lieutenant Kirchhoff said a highlight of her six-day trip was meeting her counterpart airmen swimmers from Europe.

"Our experiences are so similar in some ways, but so different in others," she said.

Officials aimed to build camaraderie among the NATO competitors, and Lieutenant Kirchhoff said that goal was achieved.

"Sports have a unique way of creating friendships between people and nations," she said.

When she learned about the competition through the Air Force Sports Program, she was immediately interested. In order to earn a spot on the swim team's trip to Europe, the lieutenant needed to submit a qualifying application consisting of her times in various swimming strokes.

Despite being a four-year member of the Air Force Academy swim team, her swim times were not recent enough to qualify. She needed to update her times in an official competition.

Lieutenant Kirchhoff turned to the local community, sharpening her skills with the Goldsboro YMCA Sharks swim team in the months leading up to the European competition.

"Having a team to swim with makes a huge difference in your intensity level," she said. "My training partners, Alex Robinson and Mason Chenier, are standout swimmers in North Carolina and they pushed me every day. Alex Black, my coach, also helped with technique on my starts and turns."

The training and instruction paid off as the lieutenant was able to record the competitive times needed to qualify for the swim team. She was selected as one of six women to represent the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and went on to carry on the wing's tradition of being "Fourth but First."

Editors Note: The Air Force Sports Program consists of 15 different sports and offers dozens of opportunities every year for Air Force athletes to showcase their skills in military sporting events at the national and international levels. Details on upcoming competitions can be found at the 4th Force Support Squadron's fitness center or on the Air Force Sports Calendar at www.usafsports.com.