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"You meet other amputees from all over the world/' she says. "That was important. It gave me confidence and a challenge." Today, as a full-time volunteer for the Kidney Foundation and as a dedicated recreational swimmer, Akey-Bowler feels good when she's asked to speak to someone who may be having difficulty dealing with a recent amputation. "She just grabs George (the nickname Akey-Bowler gives to her artificial leg) and tells them it's not an ending, it's just the beginning," says Barbara Akey. "They often ask her if she'll come to the hospital to speak to kids or adults." won another national championship. Akey-Bowler says she still finds freedom and fulfillThe lone disappointment came in 1984 when severe ment in the swimming pool during her regular weekly kidney problems forced Akey-Bowler out of the pool workouts. and into the hospital just after qualifying for the World "You're in the water and you just go," she says. "It's Paralympic Games in Australia. relaxing, there's not a lot of tension. You just go and do Now retired from competitive swimming, Akey- it." Bowler said "developing friendships" was the aspect of Induction ceremonies at the Legion begin at 7:30 her athletic career that she'll cherish the most. p.m. Saturday.