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 ...

for North Carolina State University, a 1968 Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder.

Swimming career

Rerych attended

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

from 1964-1968 where he swam for outstanding Coach, Willis Casey. As an exceptional athlete, he also played baseball for NC State, and played pitcher the year the team progressed to the College World Series. At the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

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 Zachary Zorn (born March 10, 1947) is an American former competition swimmer for the University of California Los Angeles and a 1968 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. An exceptional freestyle sprinter, he was a member of ...

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 Kenneth Marshall Walsh (born February 11, 1945) is an American former competition swimmer for Michigan State University, a two-time 1968 Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in three events. Career Swimming for Michigan 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 The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (officially known as Columbia University Roy and Diana Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) is the medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irvin ...

in 1974. In 1975, he completed his internship at

Duke University Medical Center Duke University Hospital is a 1062 -bed acute care facility and an academic tertiary care facility located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1930, it is the flagship teaching hospital for the Duke University Health Sy ...

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 Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...

. 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 mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, 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

External links

NC State's 2014 Hall of Fame Class: Dr. Steve Rerych – 2014 Hall of Fame Class article at Gopack.com
Graduate of Peekskill Military Academy-Class of 1964 Peekskill, New York 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 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-swimming-bio-stub

Swimming career

Professional career

See also

References

External links