In July, I spent many mornings swimming from 6 to 8:30 and then going to another evening practice with a master's team I joined over the summer. Other than that, July was pretty relaxing compared to what happened next.
August was when things started to change for me. I went to San Diego to train with a Paralympic Coach and his team for a week. Boy did I get a work out! Practices were at least 3 hours. I was so exhausted but it was a really good experience for me. I spent most of my time outside of the pool with my mom and shopping :). That week in San Diego I decided to transfer to another school. I ultimately knew that Wheaton was not the right "fit" for me, especially with my swimming goals. This decision was made 3 weeks before the semester was going to start, so I knew I had a lot of work to do when I returned home. Also during that week I was informed that I was nominated for the national USA Swimming's Adapted Swimmer of the Year Award! In addition I had a chance to catch up with my mentor Ryan and his wife Nicole, and also my friend Scout. They all helped me with suggestions about transferring since it was a hard decision for me, but ultimately the right choice. When I returned home, I decided to transfer to Trinity College and crossed my fingers that I'd get in before the fall semester started. Well...I got in! I registered for classes and all of my credits transferred also. After that situation, in swim practice I was getting slower in the water. My coaches, family, and I just thought it was due to stress and transferring schools, but we soon found out that it was more than stress.
September was a time for adjustment for me. Transferring to Trinity was certainly the right choice for me. Although I didn't have many options for classes that semester since most of the were already filled, I made the best with what I had. I registered for Sociology, Political Philosophy, Biology, and Spanish. My classes were much harder, but I managed. My hardest class was Biology since the material was so detailed and complicated. I studied for hours and even had my cousin help quiz me, but still did not get the best grades. The professor was really understanding though and was available many times for extra help and study sessions. Also in September, I joined a club team for swimming and absolutely love it! I joined CCAT (Central Connecticut Aquatic Team) and love my coaches and teammates. In addition, I found that my right shoulder was the main cause of my problem for swimming. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but I was starting to get a tingling sensation down to my fingers and having my entire arm go limp during practices.
October was such a fun month! My family and I went to the San Diego Triathlon sponsored by the Challenged Athletes Foundation. I had an amazing time! I can't put into words how amazing that weekend was, but it is always such a positive experience! I had a chance to catch up with some of my challenged athlete friends who live across the country and in other parts of the world; it's one time when we're all together and can have fun! My family and I also met Bill Walton which was great since we're Celtics fans. The triathlon was a Half Ironman distance and I signed up only for the swim portion, 1.2 miles. I wasn't exactly sure if I could even swim the whole distance since I'm a sprinter and also with the problems I've been having with my arm. Well, I was certainly nervous, but had my swim buddies, Felicia and Tony, with me the whole time. The water was about 64 degrees and I was actually warm the whole time since I had my wetsuit on. I did get really frustrated when we reached the 2nd buoy because I thought we were half way and then Felicia said we were a 4th of the way done. The waves were pretty rough at the half way point and then swimming back towards the shore, but I did it! I swam the 1.2 mile distance (which I've never done before) in an 1:37 minutes! I was so happy with myself especially since I really thought I wasn't going to be able to finish. And the most amazing part was Ryan helped carry me up the Cove's stairs. It was an amazing moment and unfortunately since I was so disoriented I didn't know what was going on. I actually have a picture of me and Ryan and it means so much to me; you'll never be alone, mentor and mentee, helping one another, and I'm sure there's more. The rest of the day my family, Felicia, Ryan and Nicole, and I spent time talking and having fun at the fair CAF put on. I absolutely love the CAF for everything they do to help challenged athletes help achieve their sporting goals and also showing that you can have an amazing life even with a disability. That weekend was so much!
November was relaxing. I had a swim meet the 1st weekend after the triathlon and dropped 10 seconds in my freestyle! Also in that month I was awarded by Connecticut Swimming Adapted Swimmer of the Year Award. I said a few words when receiving the award and dedicated it to my parents since they instilled in my sister and I at a young age that you can do whatever you set your mind too. I absolutely know that I would not be where I am today without their support and positive reinforcement.
And now to December. Well school ended December 16th and I was so happy to be done with finals! Trinity is definitely a harder school than I had imagined, but I certainly learned more about myself and how I study for exams. I ended on a good note with a 3.2 GPA which I'm really happy about. Swimming's been on a hold for a bit due to the right shoulder and arm. I've been seeing a chiropractor and physical therapist and have been seeing positive results. My chiropractor thinks my shoulder is a result of maybe muscle weakness and nerve damage or pinshing. It'll be a slow process to fix, but I'm hopeful that in 2011 I'll be better than ever! Since I'm on break now, Ive been seeing friends home from school, taking it easy, and spending time with family. For New Year's Eve, I'm planning on spending time with my friends and ring in the New Year with those I love!
Speaking of 2011, my next national meet is in April in Minnesota. U.S. Paralympics will be picking 2 international teams; 1 to Guadalajara, Mexico and Edmonton, Canada. I'll also be getting reclassified due to the problems with my shoulder so we'll see if anything results from that. I'm really excited about seeing my teammates from Greece and Colombia and catching up with them! It'll be a fun experience swimming fast and also seeing my swimmer friends!
I'm excited to see what 2011 has in store for me, but until then Happy New Year!!
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