April 8, 2015
Springfield residents Jim and Siiri Fenix’s daughter Stefanie (left) and friend Kenzie Macintosh (right) were coached by Melissa Belote Ripley in the 1980s.
Stories this photo appears in:
Melissa Belote Ripley Went From Summer League Standout to Olympian
Melissa Belote Ripley’s former swimming coach Ed Solotar had two requirements: “You’ve got to want to win and want to get better,” said Belote Ripley, who was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Springfield. “To have to have that burning desire to always be the best, a fire in your belly to really want to win, to work -- that was easy for me, that’s just how I was.”
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID