Starting last spring we did several rounds of private swim lessons for Natalee with the aquatics director at the YMCA. This fall I asked her if she thought Natalee would be eligible to join the swim team and she gave us the green light. In October Natalee began training with Coach Mickaela and joined the Dolphins Swim Team through the Y. She has worked really hard to keep up with the team and always tries her best at everything that Coach or assistant Coach Tyler ask of her. She practices 2-3 times a week, and I've noticed she's been being very conscious on her own of watching that she's fueling her body with good foods and trying to remember her vitamins and drinking her water so that she's an overall healthy swimmer and person.
Today's goals for the meet were to swim her events without pausing for break and to have fun. I was running a lane stopwatch on the pool edge, so Mike did dad duty + cheer squad with the other 4 children, and Grandma Cindy came up and helped Natalee keep organized, cheered her on big, eat, get to her events on time, and stay relaxed and calm.
Natalee entered the 50 yard freestyle, 50 yard backstroke, 100 yard freestyle, and then was in a 200 yard freestyle medley with 3 other girls.
Her first event was the 50 yard freestyle. She did great and it was a nice event to start with! She is very confident in the freestyle and was thankful that Coach Tyler gave her and a few other teammates some extra work on pool entry at last night's practice.
After a brief break and a quick hello to Miss Maggie (thank you for coming!!), she was back in the pool for the 50 yard backstroke.
Natalee did a great job on her backstroke. She did excellent staying on her back coming into the wall, when the natural thing feels like flipping over to grab on. However, she did disqualify (DQ) because she got up against the lane rope. No worries! We'll try it again!
Mike took the troops home for some vitals and a break, and Natalee got a bit of a break herself.
Her last individual event was the 100 yard freestyle. One length of our pool is 25 yards, so she needed to go down and back twice.
I know she was tired. I know it would have been easier to just say she was doing the first two 50 yard events and not even enter the 100 yard free. But she entered. And she got in there. And she finished. We are so dang proud of this girl. Very few people on her team even know she has cerebral palsy. She doesn't use it as an excuse and she is choosing to not let it control this sport for her. Bravo, Natalee!
We have talked a lot about how it doesn't matter where anyone else is in the pool. No one else's times matter. What matters is living for Jesus, doing your best, and finishing what you start. Over the course of the season, Natalee will work on improving her own times, and continue to focus on only her own standings.
And yes, I did have tears cheering her to the finish of her 100 yard free. Tears for her tenacity and drive. Tears for a coach who stayed right beside her and gives her a fair shake. Tears of thanks that she's pushing to take control of her body when it fights her tooth and nail. Keep that fight, Natalee.
Natalee and Grandma had quite a bit of free time after the 100 yard free to relax in the gym. She competed in the 3rd to last event with a team of 4 girls, each swimming 50 yards of a 200 yard freestyle.
This event was DQ'd for our team, but I'm actually not sure for what or on whom. They did an excellent job, though, and swam hard. I know by the end of the day they all have to be plenty tired!
We gave Natalee the option to choose a treat for supper. Usually we end the kids' first sports events of a season with a trip to SnoBiz for ice cream but it's closed for the season. She decided to have burgers, fries, and roasted broccoli at home after a hot shower, and then she chose ice cream with all the toppings and mini donuts.
All the kids were appreciative of her choices!
We let them eat in the living room (carpet gets replaced next week - whoop whoop!) and watch Dolphin Tale to end the night.
We love you, Natalee. Congratulations on a successful first swim meet.
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