Sarah Kate was a bit hesitant to return to swim team last summer, but once back her old passion was reignited – so much so that she chose to swim with the high school team as a seventh grader. Once the season ended in November, though, she didn’t swim (or much of anything else active), and that’s when the problems started: tendinitis first in her ankle and later in her knee, and followed by a loss of function. Late in the spring she began working out at home, which helped, but it was when she went back to the pool that things improved dramatically.
The big season-ending area meet was held Friday and Saturday, and she chose to swim in five events. On the first day she did 50 freestyle, 50 breaststroke, and 100 freestyle, and had high hopes for beating her personal best in the 50 free. Her best time was at the beginning of this summer – 1:03.39 – but she hadn’t come close to that time again since she started swimming breastsroke. The normal order of strokes is back, then breast, then free, and breast is her slowest stroke by far (she doesn’t use her legs at all), so we attributed her slower freestyle times to being tired after swimming breaststroke, and for this meet she would swim the 50 free first.
Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. She looked great in the first 25 yards, but faded in the back half, finishing with a disappointing 1:06.58 (even if it was a full 20 seconds faster than she swam it a year earlier).
Her next event was the 50 breaststroke. Unlike in the free, her times have been falling all season. She started out with a 2:25.12 in early June with her most recent times hovering around 1:50.
The time to beat was 1:47.28, but she came up a little short again for a personal best with a 1:49.07.
Her final event on Friday was the 100 freestyle. She didn’t swim that distance all summer, although she did swim it in the fall (once). Her time was 2:53.68 back in October; she was seeded with an estimated time of 2:28.
She blew her personal best out of the water, and even beat the estimated time for seeding with a finish of 2:24.05.
To start competition on Saturday, she swam the final leg – 50 yards freestyle – in a 200 yard medley relay. She drank a Dr. Pepper before she went to line up, hoping the burst of caffeine and sugar would give her a little more oomph for the final push.
And…apparently it worked. In fact, it worked so well that from my vantage point at the far end of the pool I thought for a moment that she might break the one-minute barrier. She didn’t, but she came awfully close with a 1:00.87!
Her final event was the 50 yard backstroke. She’d been pretty consistent all season between 1:25 and 1:30 with a personal best of 1:25.87…
…and she eked out a personal best once again with a 1:25.25.
We’re incredibly proud of how hard she has worked this summer. The week she was at “nerd camp” she took an aqua fitness class every day rather than miss a week of pool workouts. Last week she was in theater camp and the start time meant she’d have to miss a good chunk of swim practice, so she asked me to take her to the pool early to get a half hour of swimming in before practice started. The addition of the breaststroke this year was her idea, as well. She’s still the slowest swimmer, but she’s getting better and better, and her hard work is carrying over to other areas of her life, as well (she can manage curbs again, for instance).
But she may not be the slowest swimmer for much longer.
We’ve done some research and talked to her coach and she’s decided to compete in a para-swimming regional event next spring (and if we can work it out, this fall). She’ll be classified based on her level of disability at the regional event, and if she does well there, she’ll be able to compete next summer in the Junior Nationals, a weeklong national sport championship event for young athletes with a physical disability and/or visual impairment. Junior Nationals and the regional events that precede it are feeders for US Paralympics Swimming.
My daughter – a paralympian? Could happen. 😉
This is wonderful.
Parathletics – especially the championships – are great.
Glad Sarah Kate took the aquafitness workshop.
Caffeine and sugar doing the oomph – prefer them for recovery or even at home. Milkshakes work as well.
At the moment I am watching a series called BARRACUDA based on the Tsiolkas book about elite/competitive swimming. The protagonist Danny goes to an elite school to swim with his coach and the team. There are national championships and all sorts of shenanigans.
Danny’s stroke becomes the butterfly.
Where are you watching it? Sounds interesting – would like to check it out!
It is on Australian Broadcasting Corporation iView.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_iview
Here is a great story about two Paralympic rowers on a current affairs programme:
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2016/s4503711.htm
http://iview.abc.net.au/collection/barracuda-episodes-online-extras
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/barracuda-online-extras/DM1429V005S00
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/barracuda/DR1429V001S00
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/barracuda/DR1429V003S00
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/barracuda/DR1429V002S00
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/barracuda/DR1429V004S00
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/barracuda-online-extras/DM1429V008S00 [The Fathers]
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/barracuda-online-extras/DM1429V007S00 [The Mothers]
http://iris.theaureview.com/abcs-barracuda-to-premiere-in-the-lead-up-to-olympics/
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/abc-tv-boss-richard-finlayson-dismisses-overnight-ratings/news-story/8938942ce610642a9e8f8c7816ee86b8
How exciting for her! Sounds like her hard work is really paying off!
That’s fantastic!
I have to tell you how much I love this blog. I found it last year when my now 2.5 year old was getting her diagnosis of CP.
It’s been so nice to read of Sarah Kate’s journey with CP over the years.
What I like most is the normalcy of your life. Yes, there are adaptations to her life and Nathan’s, but overall it’s just life.
Please tell Sarah Kate that a mom in Los Angeles thinks she’s a great role model, even if she isn’t trying to be one.
YAY! She is doing awesome! Keep reminding her that though she may be the slowest in the pool, she’d probably blow past all the people sitting in the stands. In the words of Dory, just keep swimming!
That is a great reminder.
Some of the people might be ex-swimmers. Relatively few might be non-swimmers.
And of course Sarah Kate doesn’t blow past her supporters! I hope not!
Sort of the “couch” principle. [And couch swimming is possible…]
Will Sarah Kate swim another season with the school as well?
Yes, definitely!
That’s great! I am definitely in awe of people who can swim as fast as SK can! I can swim just enough to save myself if needed although I have too many ear problems to swim anymore
Caffeine is good for bursts of energy for performances of any kind. It prevents and helps to relieve headaches as well. Swimming is a good method of exercise. It doesn’t even feel like exertion!
Whereas running, cycling [on a stationary bike at this time] and walking are exertion-heavy.
What say you about sports drinks and ice coffee?
Caffeine and the timing of the headache. Fortunately have not had one all week [sinuses, though].
I’m for open water swimming when I can get it. If a pool is too heated or too crowded – then come the upper respiratories. [And taking children to the pool when they are ill …]
Now the Rio Olympics are close upon us. And the Paralympics are the first week of September.
so exciting. I really wish I would have done para olympics. Can’t wait to read about it
Had a New Zealand friend who did do Paralympics.
It was boccia. I imagine the programmes for swimming and track and field are more comprehensive, though I also suggest a niche sport.
She also attended the IPC in Christchurch in the early 2000s.
A programme and a functional classification.
For the first time the Paralympics in Australia are to be shown on a commercial channel.
Solo incredibly awesome! Way to go SK!
COOOOOL!!!
SK owns it! She’s taking the bull by the horns and telling life who is boss! Hard Work nails it usually.