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Different Strokes

April 22, 2003

ADRIAN POMERY, Staff Writer
North County Times

In a time and culture where there seems to be cloning
among teen-agers ---- some would say many of them
seem to dress, act and talk alike ---- Brittany McGrorty
toes a different line.

To say she stands out from her classmates would be
an understatement. She drives a 1974 "Barbie-pink"
Volkswagen Beetle, has a pet rat named Beatrice and
wears vintage dresses with Converse All-Star sneakers.
She attends rock concerts with her mom and
characterizes herself as "straight edge" ---- a term used
to describe someone who strictly abstains from drugs, sex and alcohol.

McGrorty, a Murrieta Valley junior, is also one of the Valley's top swimmers, having competed in the 100-yard butterfly at the CIF-Southern Section Division III meet as a freshman and sophomore. Yet as happy-go-lucky as McGrorty is, she's had plenty of adversity to deal with this spring.

McGrorty's father, Alan Peek, is a communications specialist with the Marines and is serving in the Middle East as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, marking the second straight swim season he's been away from the family.

Last year, Peek served a tour of duty aboard a Navy ship during the time of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, returning home just in time for the team's banquet.

"I know he likes to watch her swim," Murrieta Valley coach Genevieve Barrow said. "All the people over there are missing major events in their kids' lives. That has to be pretty hard."

And it's been especially hard for McGrorty.

Due to the nature of his service with the Marines, Peek can't reveal his location to his family. He was able to phone home last week, leaving a message on the answering machine to let McGrorty and her mother, Jerylyn Fraser, know that he is OK.

McGrorty says it's difficult emotionally to follow the war on TV. She often simply chooses not to.

"I'd watch it, but I'd kind of get sick of it and get depressed," McGrorty said.

The bond between Peek and McGrorty is a close one. Biologically, Peek is not her father, but he has capably filled the role for the past 10 years, forging a special relationship. Peek is married to McGrorty's mother.

"He does so much for me," McGrorty said. "He's an amazing guy."

Worrying about him is nothing new for McGrorty. In March 2000, Peek was hit by a drunk driver while jogging.

The accident sent him to the hospital for three months. He underwent multiple stomach surgeries, had a portion of his intestines removed, lost half of his calf muscle and still has a rod in his right arm.

With Peek overseas, McGrorty and Fraser have made an already close relationship even closer. The two share a love of music and attend three or four concerts a month. While many parents don't share the same musical tastes as their children, McGrorty and Fraser do.

The Used, Incubus and AFI are just a few of the acts the two have seen in concert.

"She's such a great mom and friend," McGrorty said. "We are really close. She'll watch out for me at a show. I think I'm really lucky."

Despite her rock 'n' roll interests, McGrorty said she doesn't live the typical rock 'n' roll lifestyle, opting to adopt her straight-edge stance.

McGrorty has been to several straight-edge concerts, and there are straight-edge Web sites where teens can chat with each other. Although McGrorty is straight edge, many of her friends and teammates choose to drink and party.

"It's a great thing to be," McGrorty said. "I love it. I don't need alcohol or drugs to have fun."

Said Barrow: "Brittany is so much fun. With Brittany, you never know what she is going to wear, say or do. But with Brittany, it's all good, clean fun."

One of the reasons she chooses not to drink ---- other than the fact that it is illegal for those under 21 ---- is that she believes it would hinder her ability to perform as an athlete.

Her abilities in the pool have attracted attention from several colleges, and she is aiming for a top-eight finish in the 100 fly at the CIF-SS Division III meet. McGrorty's best time in the 100 fly this season is 1 minute, 1 second, but when tapered for the Division III meet, she is gunning for 58 seconds.

McGrorty's toughest competition in the Southwestern League and possibly in CIF in the fly could come from Chaparral junior Rian Wise. The two have put on quite a show at the Southwestern League Finals the past two years and have faced each other numerous times in club competitions.

"It's tough," McGrorty said of facing Wise. "You have to be mentally prepared. When I swim against her, I think 'I have to beat her.'"

Barrow describes McGrorty as a team leader who is happy to encourage or talk to anyone on the team.

"When she goes to college, she's going to bring more than just her swimming abilities," Barrow said. "She's also going to bring her personality".