We Remember and Celebrate You

On Sunday November 26th, 2006 we lost our dear friend, head coach and centerpiece of the Fins Aquatics Club. Jim Robles, age 40, succumbed to PML (Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy ) after having been diagnosed with the disease in mid-October.

Jim was a civil engineer U of P grad, who had worked on the Civic Center reconstruction/ deconstruction project. In 1988, he and a group of water polo players founded the Fins in order to field a team for the '90 Gay Games in Vancouver. Jim was instrumental in getting the polo players to improve their swimming, and to begin competitive swimming as well.

In time, the water polo team gave way to a vibrant and competitive Masters swim team. Jim's involvement quickly grew to coaching the Fins, serving as the team reprensentative and Top 10 Recorder for DV Masters and serving on various committees in IGLA (International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics), and serving as secretary of Team Philadelphia - the organization of gay and lesbian sports team in Philadelphia.Under Jim's coaching, numerous Fins have achieved Top Ten and All-American status. In 2005, the team won their first IGLA division title in Atlanta, which was a great source of pride for Jim. As well, this past August the Fins brought home over 20 medals from the Gay Games in Chicago.

A native of Tuscon, AZ, Jim turned his love of Country Western music into a second passion with enormous success. While competing on the UCWDC (United Country Western Dance Council) circuit, Jim won over 15 overall championships in their Pro-Am division. Not one to settle for being just a competitor, Jim also served as a coach, trainer and judge in the CW community.

Proving a modern renaissance man, Jim was also a long-time member of the Leather/Bear community, working part-time at the Gear Box at the Bike Stop. On those few down times, Jim could be found camping with friends, and taking particular delight in hanging tacky string lights around the campsite. His impish grin and wicked sense of humor endeared him to so many, and his influence will surely be felt throughout our lifetimes.