By Kyle Jorrey

Ron and Ginny Knorr are not avid travelers. Beyond an annual cruise and occasional visits to family, they spend most of their days in their home outside Mill Creek, Washington, a small town about 25 miles north of Seattle. However, each January, without fail, they make a pilgrimage to Thousand Oaks to attend Cal Lutheran's Christopher Knorr Invitational, a swim meet held in honor of their late son. 

Sitting together in the stands surrounding the pool, they find solace in the presence of aspiring young swimmers, each one a poignant reminder of Chris. The 2025 meet, held Jan. 2-3, featured teams from Concordia University Irvine, Hamline University (St. Paul, Minnesota), and Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin).

"It feels wonderful to see all these young people in the prime of their life, like (Chris) was … just going for it," Ron said. "Going as fast as they can in the pool, or trying to perfect their dives. It's amazing to watch and really heartwarming for us."

Established in 2014, the invitational honors the former Kingsmen swimmer, who died in 2013 of brain cancer at age 24. A gifted student, athlete and musician, Chris spent three years at Cal Lutheran, falling in love with the campus and all it offers. 

"He was so happy there, and made so many wonderful friends," Ginny said.

Devastating diagnosis 

Several factors led Chris to enroll at Cal Lutheran in 2007 after graduating from Mill Creek's Henry Jackson High School. Ginny, a native of Van Nuys, said her oldest son was impressed with the facilities, the proximity to the beach and then head swim coach Tom Dodd.

"Tom was so enthusiastic but not high pressure," Ginny said. "(Chris) said 'I can swim if I want to, but if I decide I don't like it, I can quit anytime.' And he liked that flexibility. He wanted to swim because he enjoyed it, not because he had to do it to stay in school."

Chris threw himself headlong into the college experience. Beyond swimming, he excelled in his business classes and played French horn in Cal Lutheran's Symphony and Wind Ensemble. He dreamed of attending law school.

Friends called him "Sunshine." Though the nickname fit with his sunny demeanor, it actually came from a high school coach who thought Chris' wavy blond locks reminded him of the California-born quarterback in the film "Remember the Titans." 

Just when it appeared things couldn't get any better, Chris received devastating news. 

While at home on winter break in his junior year in 2009, Chris saw a doctor about a recurring headache and upset stomach. An MRI revealed a tangerine-size tumor on his brain. Chris left school to undergo months of intense chemotherapy, radiation and, ultimately, a 9.5-hour surgery. Though doctors felt that they had removed the cancer, the procedure impacted Chris' ability to walk and speak. 

"He had a scar that would make Harry Potter's scar look like a scratch," Ginny said. "It ran from the top of his head to the base of his neck. And he had to learn to walk again. He was in his 20s and he walked like he was 80."

At his oncologist's urging, Chris delayed his return until spring 2011. Even then, his parents had their doubts, but Chris wouldn't accept no for an answer. 

"He wanted to go back and he wanted to swim and he wanted to be with his team," his mother said. "I agreed, but only on the promise that he would call me every day."

Though unable to compete, Chris remained an integral part of the swim team, attending meets and helping Dodd with recruiting. He took part in practices as well, though lamenting to his parents that he was confined to the "slow lane."

Despite his disability - he had trouble writing and speaking - Chris managed to keep up his grades. He was just one prerequisite short of graduating when a checkup revealed the cancer had returned. 

In August 2012, he was diagnosed with recurrent medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor that forms in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance and coordination. He returned home to his parents' house in Washington where he lived out the remainder of his life.

"The fact that he couldn't go back to school, that hurt more than anything else," Ginny said.

A large crowd attended Chris' funeral, including coach Dodd and several of his Cal Lutheran teammates. The university awarded him a bachelor's degree in business administration posthumously. 

Keeping his memory alive

When Dodd retired in 2018, he passed the reins to the invite to current coach Barry Schreifels, who is deeply committed to upholding the spirit and purpose of the annual event.

"The priority of the Chris Knorr meet is showing the teams and showing the school what's important in life and what's important in sports," Schreifels said. 

Each year as part of the meet, Cal Lutheran grants two participants, one male and one female, with the Chris Knorr Leadership Award. The award doesn't necessarily go to the top swimmers at the meet but those who best embody Chris and his particular approach to being a leader. 

"Chris wasn't what you would think of as your typical captain," Schreifels said. "He was quiet, thoughtful and he pushed people rather than shouted at people. He let the other captains do the shouting. Chris tried to inspire others through encouragement. As his nickname suggests, he always radiated positivity." 

Chosen by the coaching staff, the award doesn't always go to members of the host team. This year it went to swimmers from Hamline and Lawrence. As is tradition, Ron and Ginny posed for a photo with the recipients. A plaque bearing the name of past winners hangs in Schreifels' office.

"It's just our way of honoring Chris' memory. It's important to us, and it's clearly important to them," the coach said.

Though the trip gets more challenging with time, Ron and Ginny said they plan to keep attending the invite as long as their health - and circumstances - allow. Difficult as it is to be reminded of Chris and how his promising life was cut short, the pair said it helps them to still feel a part of the Cal Lutheran family, which is what their son would have wanted. 

"It's emotional for us, but it keeps him in our hearts," Ron said, with Ginny adding, "It spreads his love around, too. He just loved everybody."

"I see him in all the young men and women who compete because they have that fire that he had," Ron said.