Stephen Karl "Steve" Rerych (born May 14, 1946) is an American retired surgeon and former

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.

Swimming career

At the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

in Mexico City, Rerych won two gold medals. He swam the second leg for the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay; with relay teammates Zac Zorn,

Mark Spitz Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10, 1950) is an American former competitive swimmer and nine-time Olympic champion. He was the Lists of Olympic medalists#Medalist with most medals by Olympiad, most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympi ...

and Ken Walsh, he helped set a new world record of 3:31.7 in the event final. He received another gold medal as a member of the first-place U.S. team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates John Nelson, Spitz and

Don Schollander Donald Arthur Schollander (born April 30, 1946) is an American former competition swimmer, five-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in four events. He won a total of five gold medals and one silver medal at the 1964 and 1968 S ...

. Individually, he also competed in the preliminary heats of the men's 200-meter freestyle, clocking a time of 2:00.6, but did not advance.

Professional career

He later went on to become a general surgeon. Rerych received his medical degree from

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded i ...

in 1974. In 1975, he completed his internship at

Duke University Medical Center Duke University Hospital is a 957-acute care bed academic tertiary care facility located in Durham, North Carolina. Established in 1930, it is the flagship teaching hospital for the Duke University Health System, a network of physicians and ho ...

in general and thoracic surgery. In 1986, Rerych was named the Chief Resident in General, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University and the Veteran's Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1990 he had his first and only child, Stephanie Rerych. In 1991, he served as an assistant clinical professor of general, vascular and thoracic surgery at the same institutions. Prior to moving to

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

, he was in private practice as a general, thoracic and plastic surgeon in Asheville, practicing at Memorial Mission Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital (now combined as The Mission St. Joseph's Health System).

References

*
NC State's 2014 Hall of Fame Class: Dr. Steve Rerych
– 2014 Hall of Fame Class article at Gopack.com 1946 births Living people Peekskill Military Academy alumni American male freestyle swimmers American plastic surgeons Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni World record setters in swimming NC State Wolfpack men's swimmers Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Swimmers from Philadelphia Swimmers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics {{US-swimming-bio-stub Graduate of Peekskill Military Academy-Class of 1964 Peekskill, New York

Swimming career

Professional career

See also

References