Brian had had the operation; more than one, actually. Webbed feet came first, a simple procedure which added flaps of skin between his toes. Webbed hands followed. The lung enlargement came next and then a pair of gills. The back fin was the finale. It looked stunning, but it did frighten people at the beach, and the swimming pool for that matter.

The pain and the sacrifice had all been worthwhile. He won eight Olympic swimming gold medals. He was proud of himself and he’d achieved it without any performance enhancing drugs. Using drugs was cheating and he hated cheats.

Author’s note. This drabble was inspired when I wondered if an unusual  physical feature (e.g. webbed feet) would disqualify a person from a sporting event. Who knows?

Read the next drabble – The Day the Lawnmower Turned