Eight-year-old Nathan Lin couldn’t hear the TCU Swimming & Diving team cheering and, clapping and chanting his name until he pulled himself out of the water.

It was his first lap as an official member of the squad.

On Wednesday, Lin signed a ceremonial national letter of intent at the University Recreation Center natatorium as part of his Make-A-Wish Foundation dream.

The day included slapping high-fives, making frog hand signs, receiving a TCU shirt with his name on it and leading the team in cheers.

Lin could summarize it all in one word: “Awesome.”

Lin is the son of former TCU swimmer Cathy Boyd Lin ’89, who learned last July that her youngest child had a brain tumor.

Her former coach Richard Sybesma, who has guided the men’s and women’s programs since 1978, heard of what the Lin family was facing and reached out to them as Nathan began chemotherapy treatments.

“One thing Cathy mentioned to me was how important the power of prayer was to them. They could feel that,” said Sybesma, who remembered his former swimmer as a hard worker, NCAA Championships participant and one-time school relay record holder. “That was a special thing to be able to tell the team. Pray for the family.”

Led by Sybesma, TCU surrounded the Lins. In November, Nathan met his favorite Horned Frog football player Trevone Boykin, coach Gary Patterson and the team in November. In January, the 8-year-old, who attends Fort Worth All Saints’ Episcopal School half days, talked hoops with men’s basketball players Chauncey Collins and Malique Trent.

“Nathan’s been a big TCU fan all his life,” his mother said yesterday after the signing. “He loves anything to do with TCU.”

But with his mom a swimming letterman and his love of getting in the pool, Nathan was especially thrilled to join the H2O Frogs.

“Wait ’til I’m in college,” he told reporters.

The team was honored to have him join their ranks and include them in his special signing ceremony, said butterfly and freestyle swimmer Cameron Rattray, a senior from Bridgewater, N.J.

“We got to see the strength and determination he has as he’s battling,” said Rattray, a pre-med major who wants to pursue a career in pediatric oncology. “I think we lose sight of what’s important in life, which is health and family. So it means a lot to us to open the circle of our team family to Nathan. It makes us step back and think how blessed we are to be here.”

Sybesma said he’s glad the team is appreciating lessons out of the pool as squad members embrace their newest teammate.

“Our team, they learned a lot today — about life, about family, about teamwork. To see Nathan swim the length of the pool with the team cheering — special.”

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