HE QUESTION STILL hung in the air when Ben Wildman-Tobriner let out a hearty laugh.

How did his early years at the Boys & Girls Club in the Haight- Ashbury neighborhood influence his swimming career?

"That's too much to cover in one interview," he said.

Where to begin? Wildman-Tobriner could start with the modest pool that once featured only two functional lane lines. The one without starting blocks or backstroke flags warning swimmers they were rapidly approaching the wall. The one with water so shallow at one end "you can't even do a flip turn."

Read the Oakland Tribune article to learn how the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco influenced Ben's swimming career.