Episode 3: Migry Zur Campanile
I first met Migry at the Fall North American Bridge Championships of 2013. Shortly thereafter I received an email from Christina Lund Madsen asking if I wanted to hire her and Dennis Bilde for the 2014 World Mixed Teams Championship. Christina suggested Migry for my partner and thus was a great friendship born.
Migry has been a best friend, confidante, substitute mother, bridge partner and sounding board ever since we had lunch together on January 27th, 2014, her birthday, in New York City. We agreed to play the Mixed portion of the world championships together and after coming in 12th in the platinum pairs the entire 2014 World Bridge Series and cycle. I have had some of my best results partnering Migry.
Migry is a pleasure to play with and has a fantastic sense of humor. We love to laugh together. She continues to have great one liners, such as at the when I asked her about playing the Nickell team in the recent Vanderbilt. "We are not here to kibitz the opponents." I have spent countless evenings at her New York City apartment talking about bridge and life with her and her equally delightful husband Pietro Campanile.
Our partnership almost never got off the ground because I had such difficulty understanding her on the phone initially. Migry did express concern about this for our listeners when I first asked her about doing the interview.
Through our time playing together Migry always graciously introduced me to her countless friends many of whom I am now fortunate to call friends as well. I am grateful that at no point during the interview did she call me by her favorite nickname for me, "Baby John.”