MONROE - Gavin Breadon lived for sports and helping children.
Breadon was a Monroe Area Swim Team, or MAST, coach for five years. He served as a lifeguard while in high school at Monroe and in college. He went back to medical school in Ireland, but he died of a heart attack in 2002 at age 29.
The MAST swim team hosted the seventh annual Gavin Breadon Memorial meet on Saturday and alumni were welcomed back to swim.
George Breadon, Gavin's father, said it's always sunny on the day of the meet.
"We always say he is looking down on us and organizing the weather," George Breadon said.
Breadon's wife, Gabrielle, urged swimmers to live for the moment.
"Summer is for fun and swimming is fun," Gabrielle said. "Enjoy the meet. That is what it's all about."
Gavin Breadon made a big impact on sports in Monroe. As an athletic director at the YMCA he helped start the Monroe Mat Rats, a youth wrestling program. He wrestled at Central College in Pella, Iowa and played football for two years.
"He really enjoyed working with kids," Breadon said of his oldest son. "He was always into sports."
That may be why the Breadons gave out scholarships Saturday in Gavin's memory.
Monroe graduate Paige Hoesly, who is going to the University of Minnesota and is one of the scholarship winners, was excited. Hoesly plans is considering majoring in elementary education to be a teacher.
"I feel honored," Hoesly said. "This is for everything he (Gavin) represents."
Fellow graduate Meaghan Tomasiewicz, who also will attend Minnesota and plans to major in political science-economics, said she was thankful for being one of the scholarship winners.
Jordan Steiner, a Monroe graduate is going to Madison Area Technical College and major in criminal justice. Steiner knows what the scholarship means.
"I have been in swimming my whole life," he said. "It's going towards my education so I can't go wrong there."
Catie Eiserman just graduated from Monroe and will attend the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point and play soccer, while majoring in athletic training.
"The Breadons are close family friends," Eiserman said. "I was really happy to get the scholarship."
Breadon was a Monroe Area Swim Team, or MAST, coach for five years. He served as a lifeguard while in high school at Monroe and in college. He went back to medical school in Ireland, but he died of a heart attack in 2002 at age 29.
The MAST swim team hosted the seventh annual Gavin Breadon Memorial meet on Saturday and alumni were welcomed back to swim.
George Breadon, Gavin's father, said it's always sunny on the day of the meet.
"We always say he is looking down on us and organizing the weather," George Breadon said.
Breadon's wife, Gabrielle, urged swimmers to live for the moment.
"Summer is for fun and swimming is fun," Gabrielle said. "Enjoy the meet. That is what it's all about."
Gavin Breadon made a big impact on sports in Monroe. As an athletic director at the YMCA he helped start the Monroe Mat Rats, a youth wrestling program. He wrestled at Central College in Pella, Iowa and played football for two years.
"He really enjoyed working with kids," Breadon said of his oldest son. "He was always into sports."
That may be why the Breadons gave out scholarships Saturday in Gavin's memory.
Monroe graduate Paige Hoesly, who is going to the University of Minnesota and is one of the scholarship winners, was excited. Hoesly plans is considering majoring in elementary education to be a teacher.
"I feel honored," Hoesly said. "This is for everything he (Gavin) represents."
Fellow graduate Meaghan Tomasiewicz, who also will attend Minnesota and plans to major in political science-economics, said she was thankful for being one of the scholarship winners.
Jordan Steiner, a Monroe graduate is going to Madison Area Technical College and major in criminal justice. Steiner knows what the scholarship means.
"I have been in swimming my whole life," he said. "It's going towards my education so I can't go wrong there."
Catie Eiserman just graduated from Monroe and will attend the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point and play soccer, while majoring in athletic training.
"The Breadons are close family friends," Eiserman said. "I was really happy to get the scholarship."
