Interview: Adam Swank
By Mark Parman
February 28, 2003
 Adam
Swank, a fourth-year medical student from Rhinelander, Wis.
finished 16th in the 30th American Birkebeiner last week.
Skiing out of the elite B wave, Swank was the first skier
of the second group that started two minutes behind the elite
A wave.
"They used to give a trip to Norway for the first citizen, didn't they?"
Swank joked.
"They gave me a pin with a six on it. Oh well, it'll last longer than
the trip."
Swank is no stranger to high Birkie placings. In 1998, the shortened El
Nino Birkie, he just missed the podium, finishing fourth behind Carl
Swenson and Austrians Norbert Ganner and Alois Blanning. The former UW-GB
skier was Wisconsin state champion in the early 90s skiing for the
Rhinelander Hodags.
This year Swank has had an exceptional season, in part because his
schedule has allowed him time to train. The week prior to the Birkie, he
skied to another 16th place finish at 50 km freestyle race on Feb. 16 at
Keskinada Loppet in Ottawa. The high temperature for the day hit -25 C,
the FIS minimum temperature cutoff.
The day before, Feb. 15, he was second in the 25 km classic race at the
Keskinanda. He also placed second to Cory Wubbels at the Noquemanon 50 km
freestyle race in Marquette, Mich. on Jan. 25.
 With
such a strong season behind him, Swank was disappointed that
the elite wave had been separated into two groups. "I assumed
the FIS guys just started ahead of us," he said. "It would
have been nice to have all the information, to know there
was an option."
The pre-race issue of the Birch Scroll doesn't mention the two-minute
time separation. It lists the men's elite wave starting at 8:20 and the
women's elite wave at 8:22.
As it was, Swank had to lobby hard Friday night just to get placed into
the elite B wave since he didn't compete in last year's Birkie. "After a
little bit of a hassle, they let me in the elite wave."
"They (the Birkie office) assume that either you're not interested or
not good enough," Swank said about his exclusion from the A wave. Only the
trade teams seemed to know about the separation. The rank and file elite
wave skiers found out Saturday morning while they were warming up at the
start area.
Regardless, Swank is happy with his race. Fortunately, he was able to
ski in a group with Bruce Bauer, Andre Watt and Brian McKeever most of the
race, all of whom started in the B wave.
Swank was particularly impressed with the Canadian McKeever, who is
legally blind. In fact, he seemed more excited about McKeever's finish
than his own.
 "At
the finish, he (McKeever) told me he just got back from the
World Disabled Championships," Swank said. "Then because he
knew I was probably wondering how he was disabled, he said
he was blind." McKeever finished in 17th, a mere 11 seconds
behind Swank.
McKeever, whose guide is his brother Canadian national team member Robin
McKeever, won five gold medals at the world championships. However, he
skied the Birkie without the assistance of his brother.
McKeever told Swank he could see shapes and figures. "I noticed he was
always hanging back, but he always came with me when I accelerated. He
didn't stumble at all."
Swank will enter his residency next fall, but he hopes to continue
skiing. He would like to arrange his schedule so he can take time off in
winter. About the Birkie he said: "I'll continue to do it as long as I
can."
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