Be still my heart. I have been invited by President Obama and the White House to travel to Cuba with the President’s entourage for his historic visit there this Monday and Tuesday.
There are many in his invited group—-from prominent Cuban Americans out of Miami to a Congressional group to CEO’s of major American corporations—-so, believe me, I don’t consider myself special to the occasion.
But, President Obama told me himself, in my time with him in the Oval Office right after the successful Cuba Swim in 2013, that he considered my and my team’s many years of the swim quest a critical connection, human to human, between our two nations.
I have had Cuba in my heart since my childhood days near Miami, at the time of the Revolution. The Cuba Swim was much more than an athletic achievement for me. It was mostly an endeavor that drew on the profound strength of the human spirit. But it was also a bond between our country and that magical island just 100 miles away.
The President will attend several special events and we the entourage are invited to all of those, such as a baseball game between the Cuban National Team and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Internet sketchy on the island so not sure if I’ll be able to post much to Social Media from there…..but will give it a try.
Adios, amigos…..
