Just Swim

"Coach, I need some words of wisdom here. I am so nervous for the 100 free, so you gotta calm me down." Coach fiddled with her stop watch as Viola hit the time pad at the end of her 100 butterfly. "HA. Best time!" she shouted to Viola, who spalshed around in triumph when she heard the news. Coach copied Viola's time on to her clipboard and then turned her attention to me. "Ok, Rosie, what's the problem babe?"

"Coach, I am so nervous for this 100 free. I mean I am so close to the LHS record, and this is my last chance to do it before region. I know I can do it, but my nerves are getting the best of me." By this time I had psyched myself out so much, I was actually making myself sick. I began to shake, and a big huge lump welled up in my throat.

"Rosie, hun, you gotta calm down," coach said, noticing the tears brim over my eyes. "You are gonna do great. Just stop thinking about the record, ok. Once you stop thinking about the record, you'll get it."

"But I want it so much," I whimpered, wiping my eyes with my damp towel.

"I know you want it Rosie, but you can't get yourself wound up like this. I mean, how did you get that 57 seconds on your 100 free at the last meet?"

"I don't know, I just was in the zone the minute I hit the water."

"Well, then, wipe your eyes, go give your dad a big hug, go talk to Viola and Olivia, and just get in the zone. You got this babe, you are gonna be great."

I nodded my head uneasily and slowly wondered over to my dad. I fell into his arms like and went limp with nervousness. "Hey kid," he said questioningly. "What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous," I mumbled with my head buried deep in his chest. "I can't do this, I am gonna freak out." My dad chuckled and looked down at me. "Ahh Rosie, you've done this a million times, you know what you are doing and you'll do great. But remember, if you don't go fast, I am diving in after you!" I let out a little giggle and looked up at my dad. "Well, I gotta head over. Love you."

"Love you too, kid. Swim like the wind!"

The 100 free came up fast, and before I knew it, I was standing behind the starting block, hesitantly awaiting my race. Olivia and Viola came up behind me each did their best to get me pumped. When they realized that it wasn't working, they began to worry. "Rosie, babe, what's wrong?" asked Olivia.

"I'm.........I'm so nervous." I began to cry. Really cry. The lump in my throat swelled up so big I couldn't talk without sobbing. "Oh, come on, Rose, you got this. Ain't no big thang," chuckled Viola. "Do you feel ok?" she asked when I didn't respond. I just shook my head and more tears dripped down my face. Olivia and Viola looked at eachother, I knew they didn't know what to do. Usually I was the one pumping everybody up. Swim meets were fun for me, a piece of cake. But today was different. I had never felt the pressure like this before. I was more nervous about finishing the race and seeing that I had not got the time I wanted. I would rather not swim the race then face the dissapointment of not beating the record.

After moments of silence, Viola leaned in a gave me a big hug. She squeezed tight and made a last attempt to raise my spirits. "Babe, you got this. Just swim it hon, just swim it." Olivia gave me a quick hug and whispered to me her usual words of comfort. "You can do it. We love you no matter what, so does your dad. We all are gonna be right here cheering for you, K?" I nodded and smiled weakily at both of them.

The first heat of girls 100 free finished the race and I walked up behind the starting blocks. I pulled my goggles down over my eyes and did my best to shake out my nerves. Rosie, you got this. You know you can do it. Just swim it, just swim it! Don't worry about the time, don't worry about the record. Just hit the water and go." The officials blew the whistle and 8 lanes of swimmers stepped up to the blocks. Dad gave me one last thumbs up and my teammates cheered me on one last time. I took my starting position on the blocks, and as I did before every race, I blessed myself and asked God to for strength. Now I was in my zone.

"Take your mark................................BEEP!" I didn't have to think, I just dove. I plunged into the water and my mind turned off. It was just me and the water, no one and nothing else mattered. I swam my race. Like everyone had told me to. I just swam. The four laps went by so quickly it felt like I had only just hit the water when I slammed into the time pad at full force. The race was over, and this was the moment of truth. I ripped off my goggles and looked at the time board. A 56, 56 seconds, thats all I needed. Lane 5 flashed on to the board..................56.21 seconds! I had done it! Coach looked down at me yelled something of excitement. I couldn't hear her over Viola's high pitched screech. Scott reached down and pulled me out of the water and on to the deck. Viola grabbed me and hugged me so hard it hurt. When we pulled apart I noticed the tears in her own eyes. "Oh, Vi!" I sobbed back. "I am just so proud of you! You did it!" We squeezed eachother even tighter and cried some more. When Viola released me, Olivia hugged me too. The deck became a huge hug huddle. And I loved it. Coach ran down to meet me. "Guess we better write down that new record eh?!"

"Oh yeah," I shouted. Olivia and Viola and I jumped around in circles and shouted until our heads hurt. Then we just hugged everybody some more. After being squeezed to death by my team, I ran over to meet my dad. "I broke the record! I did it DAD!"

"Good thing I didn't dive in after you then," he said as he hugged me. The rest of the meet when by and I couldn't stop smiling. I felt relieved and I felt like I had been so stupid to have been so nervous before my race. In the end, everybody's advice payed off. I just had to get in the zone. I just had to swim.