Oberlin College Athletics

Under the tutelage of hall of fame head coach Dick Michaels, David P. Tempest was an elite swimmer in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The former school record holder in five different events, Tempest was the OAC Champion in the 200-yard backstroke in 1970 and went on to earn All-America honors in the event with an 11^th-place finish at the NCAA College Division Championships. A two-year team captain, Tempest was an OAC finalist in 11 of the 12 allowed individual events - finishing first or second four times and never worse than fifth over his four-year career. Tempest also ran cross country for Coach Michaels, beginning a 25-year love affair with distance running. He captained the team his last two years.
 
"The athletic experience completed and enriched the learning experience at Oberlin and helped provide lessons I've used over and over in my career and life." said Tempest.
 
After graduating from Oberlin, Tempest served two years in the United States Army. In addition to completing a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology at Ball State University in 1979 he earned a medical degree from University of Oregon Health Sciences Center and completed residency at the University of Washington. In 1983 he won the Elkins Award for the highest score in the nation on Part I of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Board Certification Examination before embarking on a clinical career from which he retired, except for volunteer work, in 2014.
 
A twelve-time recipient of either Seattle Magazine's or Seattle Metropolitan's "Top Doc" Award, Tempest remains active as a nationally ranked master's swimmer. He has also completed 10 marathon races and a 50-mile and a 100-mile run. Furthermore, Tempest and his wife Kathy TeKolste '72 have done numerous bicycling tours throughout the United States and Western Canada which included an 8,230-mile journey in 2018. He most values his family: Kathy and grown children Peter, Kevin and Lynne.