Swim Championship

The 82nd Annual swim championship was this past weekend. Peyton was excited to swim and garner some medals. Hailey wished that she didn’t swim so well so she didn’t qualify. Her words not mine. Ha!

Peyton swam in the maximum 4 events - 50 free and 50 breast stroke in her 11/12 age group plus two relays in the 13/14 age group. She placed 4th overall in her individual events and her team placed 2nd in both relays with Peyton and her travel swim friend who is also 11 competing with 2 other 13 year olds against all 13 and 14 year olds. They all did great and held their own. Peyton’s breast stroke has really improved. She‘s getting stronger and faster, and dropped some valuable seconds in all her strokes recently. To think that less than a year ago she couldn’t even dive and now she is a competitive swimmer is remarkable.

Hailey was such a trooper joining the swim team part way through their season this year. She had to swim a lot of 50 free and 25 backstroke in the 7/8 age group. She really improved her freestyle breathing by the end and even her backstroke. Her technique just got better and better throughout the short season. She really is a coachable kid who takes the feedback you give her and makes improvements. I’m so proud of her dropping almost 15 seconds on both her times in the championships. While she didn’t earn any medals she definitely could be a contender next year in many strokes when she’s on the older end. What I’m really thrilled about though is the fact that at the beginning of her season just 3 short weeks ago, she was afraid to jump in 12 feet deep water. Now she’s comfortable swimming in it and most recently she was “diving” off the blocks into it. Huge strides for just 3 weeks.

The whole swim team thing did exactly what I wanted it to accomplish this season. 1) Give Peyton more confidence in her swimming and 2) Give me and Hailey confidence that she can swim in deep water.

                                                    (Peyton in black suit, 3rd lane)

Hailey swimming 25 back by herself cause the other swimmers scratched