I don’t believe I’ve ever been more terrified than I was on March 10, 2007.
I was only 11 years old, and about to compete in one of the highest-ranking swim meets for my age division: Junior Olympics. I was filled with anxiety, not only because I had never swum in such a meet before, but because I was coming from a swim team whose pool deck held no more than 100 spectators.
When my coach, Juya, first approached me about swimming in the Junior Olympics, the first and only thing I could think to say was simply, “no.” It was too far out of my comfort zone, and I knew I would not be able to handle the pressure very well. “But you are so talented, Jessie! You’ve been training hard the last few months; I truly believe you can do it and be successful,” my coach responded. Once again, I responded with a no. But after taking a few days to think about it and imagining myself on the Rutgers University pool deck, something inside urged me to tell Juya I had changed my mind and wanted to compete. Because of Juya’s positivity, I realized I was being offered a wonderful opportunity that only a handful of swimmers on my small team were given. When I broke the news to Juya, she was both excited and thrilled.
On the day of the big race, I did not expect to see nearly 1,500 parents, swimmers, coaches, and teammates staring back at me when I entered the Rutgers Aquatic Center. Even though I had trained for months, I thought I would be unable to swim my 50-meter backstroke. My coach, Juya, could see I was nervous and tried to keep my mind off the view in front of me. “There’s no need to worry, Jessie. It will all work itself out,” she reassured me.
I stepped away into the hands of my teammate, Gabrielle. She had been through this before and knew exactly how I was feeling. She told me to get up onto those blocks and swim my race. I believe it was Gabrielle’s empathy and positivity that allowed me to step out onto the pool deck calmly and collectedly. Had it not been for her wise words, I truly believe I never would have made it to my race.
I concluded my 50-meter backstroke with a time of 31.46. As an 11-year-old, that was quite an accomplishment. In a group of 80 eleven- and twelve-year olds, I had placed tenth overall. To this day, my mom cannot remember a time where she saw me more excited than when I received the news I made the top ten.
As I think back to that March day, my reflections are positive. Although I was more nervous than excited to be there, I strongly believe that Junior Olympics sparked me to continue swimming. This day showed me that if I look at any situation in a positive light, it only makes it better. Since that day, I joined a competitive club team and was invited to swim at Nationals in North Carolina. I participated in my high school's team and was fortunate enough to be on the Varsity team for all four years. But the most important thing I learned from this experience is that my love for swimming has grown infinitely; I have realized swimming is not only a hobby, but a true passion.
