The Spring River Swim TEAM is off and running again. I couldn’t be more excited after last weekend. Qualifying in two events for the upcoming National Club Swimming Association's Junior Nationals next month in Orlando, Florida is overwhelming. Whoa! I actually did it. The support of my teammates, coaches and parents led me to the top of my sport in my age group up here in the Northlands. I’m saying good bye to the 13-14 age group with a big “YES”! I’ve made so many cool swim friends with the Penguins. However, now I realize the competition is exponentially escalating at every level I climb. I’m gunning for the top because I’m having so much fun getting there. I don’t mind crawling home after swim practice with miles in my body. I’m able to regroup and kill the homework. I actually “get it.” Not finishing homework and being at my potential for grades equals zero swimming. It just isn’t cool to blow off school. I don’t mind killing myself for my teachers. My instructors are awesome and have really supported my swimming. We actually talk about upcoming Florida Junior Nationals in class. Much of the time it’s hard to sit still, eat, or sleep. While in class I’m grooming my texts with palm trees, beaches, and oranges.

I’m in a delightful daze after the Junior National qualifying meet held in Rochester, Minnesota. Anything you say to me cannot hurt me. I achieved more than I ever thought I could. My coaches have brainwashed the Penguins into believing that we have to work much harder because we are from an itsy bitsy small Northlands TEAM who must out work the city swimmers. We don’t have nutritionists and trainers like the big swim TEAMS. But we are getting oh, so very close with volunteer massage people from the community to help with my tired aching trunk and legs.

I may bonus qualify at the Junior Nationals in a single separate stroke from the 200 IM competition. It totally depends on my time. Junior Nationals really does allow freedom of competition if someone gets hot while at the meet, though not specifically qualifying prior to arrival. Additionally if my times are good and peaking, I may be able to qualify for lesser distances in the back and free-my best strokes. I yanked 2 seconds off my 100 back in the prelims. I dumped another second off in the finals to 57.65 seconds. Though under maximum stress in Rochester, I was feeling it big time. Unfortunately due to my socializing I actually missed the 50 free qualifying heat. OOPS! My nerves were shot. Mom’s nerves were exhausted. The referee finally allowed me to swim at the end of the meet. Fortunately I got the needed time to qualify in my best event for Florida, the 50 free. I needed to only drop .05 seconds. It was weird and cool to swim against the clock by yourself at such a big meet. In fact, I would have won my age group in the 50 freestyle. Dang it! Mom said my peers are super, but I need to at least pay attention to the meet so as to not miss qualifying heats. That’s the first and last time I’ll miss an event, according to Mom. I’m not veering; just having buckets of fun and probably talking a little too much.

Oh, the mechanics of swimming. I have three suits which fit like I’m strangling myself after spending twenty minutes fighting to get the suit on. However I am like a penguin in water after I’m in. The rules on wet suits are finally resolved after the last Olympics. Maybe the times will be slower without all the buoyancy the wet suits brought. That is fairly controversial, but I’m really glad my parents don’t spend $300 on a suit that can only be worn 10 times! The new swim rules only allow neck to knee coverage with shoulder straps for women. No suit can have greater than 1 mm thickness of the suit with any extra buoyancy. It’s finally fair!

Hang on! We’re off to Florida with sun, beaches, music, and no guys. I’m way too young for them. Besides I’m hoping to get a tan. We’re supposed to be studying for the entire two weeks of the Florida meet. Get real! Who will be able to seriously study with all of this competition going on amongst swimmers from all over the United States. I will meet many more future friends and swim foes no doubt. Yes–Florida will be paradise amidst the cold, blue frozen tundra we live and breathe in up here. Our weather up north is still very cold with only brief signs of spring. I cannot wait for a season change. I live like an Eskimo who swims. Dad is also very excited for the Florida event. Who knows—maybe something really great will happen! Maybe I’ll catch a wave of energy and kick rump. I do know however, that I’ll never have as many good friends as I’ve met and kept by being a member of the Spring River Penguins—the greatest swim club ever.

Jenn Smithson
Captain Spring River Penguins