RIT's Devries coaches diving while recovering from cancer

By Scott Pitoniak
Democrat and Chronicle

(Friday, February 1, 2002) -- Goose bumps sprout on Cliff Devries' arms as he describes the sensation of descending from a 10-meter-high diving platform and puncturing the water's surface at 34 mph.

"It's not a feeling of flying, but rather a feeling of falling -- that's the rush," says Devries, a former two-time All-American at Rush-Henrietta High School who is in his third year as the men's and women's diving coach at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

"Gravity pulls you rapidly downward and you have to be in total control of your body because there is no leniency with the water. The water is unforgiving."

As Devries has discovered, life, too, can be unforgiving at times. It can smack you with the impact of a belly-flopper when you least expect it; when you think you have everything under control.

Seven years ago, shortly after returning from a two-year Mormon mission in Argentina, Devries had an MRI test on a right shoulder that had grown progressively uncooperative since his high school days. He figured he was suffering from a pinched nerve or a torn muscle, but the tests revealed something far more serious -- a six-inch long, cancerous tumor at the base of his brain.

On March 3, 1995, Devries underwent surgery at New York University. The complex operation took 13 hours to perform, and, at one point, there were fears Devries had died.

"They lost all my vital signs," he recalled. "To this day, I don't know if that was an indication that I had passed away briefly or if the machines that monitored those signs had malfunctioned."

Upon regaining consciousness, Devries was asked to wiggle his fingers and push his hands against a doctor's hands. He tried, but his body would not respond. The delicate surgery, which involved cutting around his spinal cord, had left him temporarily paralyzed.

In time, he regained movement in his arms and legs. One of the happiest moments of his life occurred two weeks after the operation when his brothers appeared in his hospital room and Devries gave them a thumbs up.

His road to recovery has been long and arduous, filled with countless hours of rehabilitation that continue to this day.

An optimistic doctor told him before the surgery that he was confident Devries would be up and walking 10 days after the operation. Instead, it was nearly a year before he was able to walk on his own again.

"That was a long 10 days," Devries said, smiling at the memory.

Family, friends and faith, as well as the discipline and dedication to diving instilled in him have made the journey easier. Though his gait remains a tad wobbly and he struggles to regain use of his right hand, Devries plugs optimistically along.

"I've seen encouraging signs of progress lately," said Devries, who is working toward a degree in accounting at RIT. "My right hand used to be clenched in a fist, but now I can open it and extend my fingers. And my endurance has improved tremendously.

"I can now make it through the day without problems. I'm getting stronger."

Each day begins with a series of exercises to increase strength and flexibility.

"I've even been trying to jump without falling," he said. "That's my big thing. I want to be able to jump again."

Coaching has been a great motivation for Devries. It has given him a sense of purpose, an added incentive to forge on.

"I can't thank (RIT athletic director) Lou Spiotti and the administration enough for having faith in me that I could do the job," said Devries, whose team closes its regular season with a home dual meet against Le Moyne College at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

"Not everyone would have taken a chance with a coach going through what I was facing. Lou said, 'We want to have a quality diving program at RIT and we think you can help us get there.' "

Devries has justified Spiotti's faith in him. Two RIT divers -- Pat Graham and Ryan Schaefer -- have excellent opportunities to earn invitations to next month's Division III national meet. But Devries' influence goes deeper than his ability to impart his diving expertise.

"I think the example he sets just by the way he has worked at overcoming his personal obstacles is tremendously inspiring," says Jamie Hatfield, a junior diver for the Tigers.

"Instead of being mad at the world and feeling sorry for himself, he's out there helping others, trying to get the best out of them.

"Whether he realizes it or not, he's taught us about a lot more than just diving."

He has taught them about life, and about how to deal with it, even when it is unforgiving.