Monmouth College's campus grieved last weekend as social media blew up when it was announced that beloved swim coach Tom Burek had lost a nearly two-month battle with COVID-19. Tributes poured in from former and current swimmers, fellow coaches and opposing teams. Following are just a few of the countless tributes to the second-longest serving swim coach in Fighting Scots history.
 
HIS PEERS
 
Peter Ollis, former Fighting Scots water polo coach and assistant swim coach – "It is almost impossible to describe an individual like Tom and truly grasp the impact he had on those around him. A larger than life person who had the innate ability to make everyone he spoke to feel like they were the most important person in the world. His philosophy was, 'there's an 8-and-under swimmer in everyone,' that time in our youth when we were so excited about getting into the pool, the pure joy of swimming. When we get back in the pool, and we will, everyone needs to approach it with that mentality. From his yellow Crocs to his booming voice, he was the perfect goober. I'm heart-broken and still can't believe I was lucky enough to call Tom my friend."     
 
Christopher Sykes, Illinois College coach – "I will miss talking with him on deck at meets and after each season. He genuinely had an appreciation for the sport and for every swimmer, even from other teams. He would go out of his way to shake hands and congratulate an athlete on an amazing race. This example is demonstrated within his own team. His athletes always demonstrated genuine sportsmanship and portrayed a strong sense of camaraderie."
 
Jonathan Powers, Knox coach – "There are lots of stories of Tom and how he cared for people, probably because he really truly and honestly did, and here's the proof: Knox and Monmouth are supposed to be rivals, but you wouldn't know that on the pool deck. Our January meet with Monmouth was always their last home meet, their Senior Meet, a time for Tom to honor his seniors. Since we don't host any meets, a number of years ago Tom asked if Monmouth could honor Knox's seniors as well. Monmouth's Senior Meet became Knox's Senior Meet and the Knox seniors would walk down the pool deck to applause from the Monmouth team and fans. ... This Knox coach might even be wearing red today."
 
CURRENT SWIMMERS
 
Kaitlyn Fox '23 – "I've been thinking back on the positive influence he had on me in the short span I had with him. Coach Burek was the perfect balance. He was so serious, but could pull out a joke anywhere, anytime. He was supportive and pushed you beyond your own expectations. ... As a freshman, I was having the usual friendship and personal troubles and began questioning if I had made the right choice. Then I was sure I had bombed my first college exam and wondered if I should drop the class or maybe drop out of school altogether. All this was before my first meeting with Coach. As soon as he asked me how I was, I burst into tears. Coach cleared out his next two hours of his other work to walk around campus with me to calm me down … and just talk. I already miss him. He was such a calming influence in my life. I had anxiety attacks during our season and he would tell me to find him on the pool deck and as long as he was there, I would be OK. I looked for those yellow Crocs and it worked every time. It might be harder now, but I know he's still there with me. Talking to my teammates has helped. We really ARE a family and we have Coach Burek to thank for that."
 
Preston Bocchi '21 – "When he was recruiting me, he seemed to be one of the coaches to truly believe in me as a swimmer even when it sounded like I wasn't going to come, and that is how he treated every one of his athletes. It didn't matter if you were the fastest or the slowest, Coach Burek always loved and believed in the capabilities of his athletes. When an athlete grabbed a PR it didn't matter if it was by a hundredth of a second or by 5 seconds, the smile on his face was priceless and could never be beat.... One of my favorite times with Coach was my junior year when I got to sit in front of the van with him and ask him all about his time in law enforcement. That was one of the most interesting and fun conversations I had with him."
 
FORMER SWIMMERS
 
Shayne Stone '17 – "Coach Burek was someone you never wanted to disappoint and frankly, I'm not sure if you could. The first thing you think about when you think of Coach Burek was his energy, when Coach bellowed 'Rise and shine!' or 'It's only your bodyweight' or 'Goggle up!' ... I owe Coach a huge 'thank you' for all the support he gave me throughout my senior season. When I first told him the summer before my senior season that I identified as a man and would now need to make the switch to the men's team, he emailed me back with, 'That is big news.' From that point on he made all the logistical arrangements for me to successfully swim my senior season on the men's team. Coach took it one step further and made sure that I felt supported on the team. He led by example and always checked in with me to make sure everything on my end was going well and making sure I was comfortable. Just one of the many ways Coach individually supported each of us."
 
Cassidy O'Connell '16 – "Coach Burek was a larger than life personality who would do absolutely anything for you. The first time I met him, I showed up to his office crying. He had no idea who I was, but he welcomed me into his office and I immediately felt a sense of calm. We talked for an hour that night, and as I walked back to my dorm room I felt a sense of belonging and knew that Monmouth was the right place for me. I was a transfer student who joined the team as a sophomore. I swam my entire life, but after my freshman year elsewhere, I had developed a very negative relationship with the sport. Coach Burek single-handedly helped me regain my love for swimming and, ultimately, myself. ... I remember sitting in class counting down the minutes until I could go hang out with Coach Burek before practice. We would talk about life, our families, last week's swim meet, or check on other conference swimmers' times. Those were some of my favorite times with Coach because he wasn't just my coach, he was my friend. ... The state police gene in him came out when we had a huge snowstorm the day we were returning to Monmouth from break and he stayed on the phone with me and my teammate for almost the entire 3-hour trip from Chicago to make sure we passed every mile marker safely. ... I always looked forward to his birthday calls and Merry Christmas texts, even after I had graduated. They became such a tradition that my little sister would ask when we were taking our Christmas selfie for Coach. He always made me feel like part of the swim family, even long after I'd graduated. ... Coach taught everyone valuable lessons. No. 1: It doesn't matter how tough a swim meet you had or how lousy your practice was – at the end of the day we always took a group picture so we had the memory of it. No. 2: You can do anything for 30 seconds if you really try hard enough. No. 3: Nothing cures a tough training trip workout like a piece of cheesecake or a donut. No. 4: Yellow Crocs and a brief case go with every outfit. ... Whenever I hear 'Goggle up!', I will be reminded of the man who encouraged me to be the greatest version of myself, in and out of the pool. Coach Burek was not only a great coach but a great life mentor. I am forever grateful to not only have been one of his swimmers, but one of his friends."
 

Services …

Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. CT on Thursday, Dec. 17, at Watson Thomas Funeral Home in Galesburg, Illinois. Masks are required and social distancing and limited occupancy will be in place. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Galesburg. Read Burek's obituary here(opens in a new tab).