Presbyterian preachers are among the best prepared purveyors of God’s word in the Christian faith. Patrick “Fish” Lane, a former collegiate swimmer and current seminary student will bring a unique perspective to the pulpit once ordained.
“I became interested in swimming very early in life,” Lane said. “My grandfather was an avid swimmer and my mom swam also.”
Lane, a member of First Presbyterian Church, sharpened his aquatic skills during the summers at the YMCA. Delta Aquatic Club provided him a formal introduction to the sport as a youth and later, Lane swam competitively for the Mississippi Zone Team.
“Zones were made up of 13 to 14 teams within the same region,” Lane explained. “One of my proudest accomplishments as a swimmer was when a group and my best buds and I finished sixth in the relay race. We didn’t win but it was the only event where Mississippi scored points during that particular competition.”
Zone Team competition prepared him for his next level of competition. Lane entered Towson University and competed on the school’s swim team until a shoulder injury ended his career after his freshman year.
He ended up completing his degree at Ole Miss. Taking the shoulder injury as a sign from above to take life in a different direction, Lane felt compelled to move towards ministry. “I knew that I’d been called to the ministry back in my teenage years,” Lane said. “In fact, it really began years before that when I would take trips up to Camp Hopewell. After about 16 years of competitive swimming and an injury that shut that door, all other doors kept opening towards the ministry. And I said, ‘Alright, I’ll stop pushing back and submit.’”
As he matriculates through his seminary program, Lane continues to prepare himself for teaching sound doctrine and rightly dividing the truth. Undoubtedly, his future parishioners will receive accurate spiritual guidance with a few life lessons learned poolside
“Swimming is a double edged sword,” he said. “It teaches you discipline because of all of the early morning practices and preparation. It also teaches you humility because you’re not going to win every race. It’s also one of the best things you can do for your body physically because it’s a combination cardio and strength training exercise.”
“Swimming is also where I’ve developed relationships and friendships that will last a lifetime,” he expounded. “And if I could, I’d like to include a shameless plug for Delta Aquatic Club. It’s still available for kids interested in swimming. I think all kids should at least give it a try.”
