submitted by: Kristyn Geiser

It was 5 years ago, we were brand new to the swimming community & new very little about it all.  Very first meet and our daughter got up on the block to swim the 25 free & I was so excited for her that I wanted to get her picture.  Yes....you guessed it, I snapped her picture & yes the flash went off and yes she saw the flash, jumped in a half second too soon, & was DQ'd.  Still not realizing that I had done anything wrong, the announcer told the spectators to please stop using flash photography, then our little swimmer came over, tears in her eyes, saying that she was DQ'd for false start....she saw a flash & she jumped in !!!  She was devastated.  I immediately hid my camera, it wasn't me ?!?!  I didn't get my daughter DQ'd at her first swim meet.  To this day .... she still does not know that it was me that snapped that picture, with the flash.  If I have it my way ... she will never know.  Well, maybe I'll tell her when she's 40, but not a day before!!!