Adelaide Loeser: State Champion

“Take your mark.” Beep! The minute the buzzer goes off, my body reacts. I feel like I rip the block from the ground, throwing my head forward, and pushing off the fin with my legs, my body holding a tight line. I slice into the water, pausing for a second before whipping my legs up and down, up and down. That is my favorite part of the race. Before I start to feel the pain, all I can hear is the swirling of bubbles and the water rushing past me. The race feels long, especially by the 3rd 25, and my body begins to burn. But my strength lies in my training that allows me not to slow down or let my stroke fall apart, even when I am tired and in pain. On the last 25, I focus on throwing my head and arms forward. When my fingertips drive into the touch pad, a sliver of hope curls in the back of my brain. I grasp the wall and catch my breath for a minute before slowly turning around and looking for my name on the leaderboard. 

Adelaide Loeser IKE 57.83 Lane 4 Place 1. I mix up the lane and place for a second before realizing I’ve won. I turn my head towards the side of the pool, scanning for my Coach, and mom, needing verification on what I see. Before I can find her, the three sharp whistles remind me to exit the water. I push my body out of the pool, still breathing heavily, forcing my jelly legs to carry me to the staging room. I am still not convinced I wasn’t making this all up in my head as I pull on my sweats and booties until I hear the stager call my name first as we line up for Podium. Only then do I smile, a sense of pride filling me as I climb the podium. I see my mom standing below, it takes all I have not to cry with my big emotions right there. 

As I wait and clap for the rest of the finalists to receive their medals, I think back on all I have done and overcome to be here today, on all the people who have helped me be here today, and on the sport that has shaped who I am today.

Freshman Addy was so naive. Not just in the sport of swimming, but of independence and social interaction. My mom took me to my first day of practice, encouraging me to enjoy the first day and work hard. I didn’t know the pain or time she had put into this sport when she was my age, or how she suspected I would eventually be doing something similar. She didn’t warn me of the hard morning practices where half the mental game was pulling yourself out of bed at 5:00 just to jump in a cold pool, and the other half was continuing through the pain of swimming 3,000 yards in an hour with 60-year-old men and a mom who were faster than you. Instead, she saw my goals grow, and realized 

I wasn’t going to get where I wanted to go if I only swam in the afternoon. I appreciate my mom so much for giving me the option to choose how much I wanted to do, while always encouraging me to do more so I could reach my goals. Freshman Addy thought that even as I started doing mornings 2-3 times per week before school, and swimming in the afternoon, nothing would change. My grades were the lowest they had ever been during the second month of high school swim and high school. I had to learn to work while being tired and to get work done when I had the time. There was definitely an adjustment period. I still remember asking to stand in the back of my math class so I could stay awake during 6th period geometry. But it wasn’t only bad; I was learning so much in other ways that I hadn’t anticipated. 

I was learning from the girls on my team, especially the upperclassmen, whose job it was to culture the freshmen. They spent half the time complaining about the grizzly sets they had had last year under Rick Alderson, and the other half telling me how much fun they had with him. They were sad to see their old coach go, and it was difficult to adjust to a new coach. I became close friends with someone so opposite of myself, it was an unexpected friendship. Eva Knerr taught me a lot, and made up a huge part of my freshman and sophomore swim seasons. I made other good connections on the team and enjoyed the company of all sorts of cool people. 

Freshman year, Addy had a good time getting to know team dynamics, watching movies on the bus, and sharing the pain of hard sets with a team. That first season, I was committed to the sport - but had low expectations. When I made state as a freshman at districts after winning 200IM that year, it came as a surprise to everyone - except my summer coach (and Davis coach) Carl, who always seemed to believe I would make it. Making state that year was my major accomplishment; it was the highest goal I had thought of. And when I knew I could accomplish that, my expectations for myself only increased for the following year. I learned a lot about myself that year: how hard I was willing to work to reach the goals I wanted to achieve, and that you need a support structure if you are going to reach those goals. 

Sophomore Addy learned what burnout was. She had big goals, but didn’t feel like making them was as easy as it had been last year. I had swam year-round for the first time that year, and had big expectations of myself.  I struggled with my coach, whose heart seemed more in her other job. And while I couldn’t blame her, I also was resentful that she didn’t seem to put as much effort into the sport as I was willing to give. I never dropped time at my meets, and whenever I swam butterfly, which I considered my stroke, I felt like a piano was weighing down on my hips. It is so disheartening to feel like you suck at the thing you thought you were good at. But it really only left room for me to grow in my mindset that, during the season, you feel like shit. Nothing is going to feel good; you don’t feel fast, maybe sometimes you feel strong, but that's rare enough that it only barely keeps you going. I was going to swim tired until the end of the season, and it was going to suck. But hopefully it will be worth it. I was going to make it worth it. 

I learned how to go through the ugly stuff to get to the good stuff. I relied heavily on my team to keep me going, but team morale was the lowest I had ever seen that year, and there was tension between the coach and athletes. That really made me realize how much a bad team attitude could influence performance and enjoyment. I considered quitting for the first time, not the sport, just the team. That didn’t really feel right either. I love the girls on the team, even while we all struggled to be positive and create a successful environment. What I didn’t know then was how much this year would influence me as a future leader on the team. What that year lacked in leadership, morale, positivity, and work ethic were all things I did my best to cultivate in the team later on. 

Making state my sophomore year wasn’t set in stone. I was so deeply worried that I wouldn’t make it that year, or that I couldn’t drop time, and how embarrassing that would be after going as a freshman. 

That year at districts truly tested my ability to race while being nervous out of my mind. But I managed it; I set my routine in stone for how I approached big meets that year at districts. I visualized some part of my races every day for a week before the meet. At the meet, I did the team warm-up, and if anything felt off, I would go back and repeat it until it felt good enough during my personal warm-up. Before my race walkup I would jump around, zipped to the chin in my parka, cap on, and goggles pressing into my forehead. 

This was the first meet where I implemented my strategy of smiling before swimming. Smiling is scientifically proven to make you feel better, so I did my best to smile at my coaches, team members, and opponents to feel a little better. Plus, smiling at your opponents makes you seem confident; fake it till you make it, really. I have only smiled more at meets since then. Right before my race, I shake it out, arm swings, tuck jumps, little jumps with loose arms, and a few thigh smacks to wake up my nervous system. I make sure I breathe a lot behind the blocks to hopefully last longer in the water. I tell the athletes on either side of me good luck, while in my head telling myself, “cause you’re going to need it”. When the three whistles blow, officially starting my racing time, I step forward, press my goggles into my face with the heels of my hands and push any extra air out of my swim cap with my hands, resting them on my forehead and occipital of the head for a minute taking a final deep breath, exhaling sharply, and saying you got this. I step on the block. Set my feet. Bend forward, give one last shake of both my arms, and rest my body in my starting position. I do that before every single big race, and for most of my smaller ones, too. The routine settles me, helps me stay focused despite the nerves. I still get so nervous, I feel cold and sick and shaky, but I have learned to accept that, and still perform well. I know this skill will benefit me in other areas of my life as well. I won the 100 fly and the 200 IM at districts that year. 

State was a whole different monster, and that year I knew what to expect and what I wanted. I wanted to make consultations (consuls) in both events. But I was at State alone, no one else from Yakima in 4A had made it. It was hard to warm up alone, be in a racing mindset alone, and having no team to celebrate with was really hard. I had wished countless times for a team with other people who made it to state, or a training partner to help me improve and stay motivated. I loved my team, but I had to find ways to make things work for myself, by myself, a lot. I became very self-motivated and self-disciplined, skills I am grateful for. But it made it all the sweeter knowing my sisters would be on the team the following year. 

I knew my sisters would be a part of the team; what I didn’t know was that my mom would be my coach. After the position opened up the spring before my junior year, my mom decided to take it. My mom swam for NAU when she was in college, and I had heard her stories of growing up swimming for the Yakima Athletic Club. It’s definitely an interesting experience to have a parent who understands the sport you do, can still do it better than you, and is your coach. I wouldn’t change it, though. 

Junior Addy stepped into the role of a leader. Before the season, I talked endlessly with my mom about how the season should go. We brainstormed sets, taper, team bonding, and, especially, how to grow the sport of swimming in Yakima. I loved being included in the planning process, and I am passionate about growing the sport. It is so inclusive. I have met all kinds of different people with different bodies, mindsets, cultures, and athletic backgrounds. Swimming can meet you at whatever level you are at. 

For me, that meant setting specific time goals, and I pushed my body and brain to the brink in the hope I could meet them. For others on my team, it was a way to get their body moving, get involved, and meet new people. Although I sometimes used to be bitter about how there was no one on the team faster than me, or who understood what I went through to be able to perform as I did, and no one else was willing to work as hard as I did, I realized that wasn’t what I really needed or wanted anyway. I was able to get better and push myself, which strengthened my self-motivation. I learned to see how other people worked super hard at practice. Although perhaps not in the same ways I did, I looked to them, working hard or giving me words of encouragement, to get through challenging sets. This was the year I learned how to really be part of a team, to be a leader, to rely on them when I was tired or lacking motivation, and to build my team stronger and be a positive influence, which can really change the environment and help me improve. I am so grateful for the girls I have had the privilege of being teammates with. 

And of course, this year, my little sisters and my mom: Cora and Reed, and Coach Andrea were a part of the team too. I am very close with my family and very lucky to have the family I do. My mom and I became a dynamic duo in a way we hadn’t been before, bouncing ideas off each other to help improve the team. I had experience on the team, and my mom had years of swimming experience, as well as 2 years as a coach in the summer. She worked tirelessly to write sets that would build endurance, speed, power, strength, and technique. As her daughter, I got to see behind the scenes. I helped her before swim meets, spending hours figuring out who should race to beat the opposing team, or doing the math on different relay combinations to earn the most points possible. You don’t always see all that goes into coaching, but I can tell you, it is so much time. I am grateful for her passion to help me succeed and help all the other swimmers on the team succeed. I loved being able to share my opinion on sets and help with meet sign-ups. It gave me a window into a job I would like to have someday, as a high school swim coach. It wasn’t always easy - going home with your coach meant talking about swimming all the time. Most of the time, I was happy to discuss ways I could improve myself and the team, but I was also exhausted and wanted to leave the pool behind me when I went home. Although we butted heads a few times, we always worked it out. 

I fought with my siblings more; perhaps we were, and are, all very close. I consider them my best friends, but they are also my siblings. And I am competitive. And they were fast. I finally had people at practice who could push me. And while I enjoyed working with people doing similar training to mine, I felt a lot of pressure to be better than them in everything. Instead of a fun, motivating, and competitive environment, it occasionally turned into a mean and competitive environment. I was always faster, and they gave that to me because I was older, but they felt a lot of pressure from each other, which weighed on me, plus everyone expected me to be the fastest. It turns out, it's not the end of the world when they get faster than you… in certain events. 

Cora’s backstroke is killer. It’s my worst stroke, and her best. I enjoy watching her swim it; it is beautiful. Reed quickly became our fastest 500 free swimmer on the team. I wasn’t much of a fan of distance, and she was really mentally tough and motivated her freshman year. Swimming with them was hard, but I am also glad I got to share my swimming experience with them. Although I occasionally wish we all did different sports, the Loeser relay made it all worth it. Working together to win races is so much fun. Any relay is fun, but there was nothing better than racing with Cora and Reed. It was so fun to be fast with them, and it was so fun to win with them. We made state in our 400 free relay that year, and I was so happy to be swimming at state with a team for the first time. I treasure the experience of swimming a relay with you two, and I will miss it so much. 

I made finals in the 200 IM for the first time that year, placing 8th. I dropped maybe 1 second on my fly placing in consuls, which wasn't my goal, but I didn’t really mind because I was so happy to drop 5 seconds in my IM. I was ready for a break, but also excited for next season. Senior season. 

Senior Addy was stressed. I would love to say by senior year, I had it all figured out. But I wasn’t always positive. I cried. I got angry with myself and my situation. I was exhausted from swimming, college apps, scholarships, homework, and recruiting trips. I felt like I wasn’t doing well at anything. Just mediocre at everything. And I like to be the best. But I learned the most this year of any of the previous three and made major changes in my life. I accomplished a lot in a very short time. It was hard, I got through it, and it paid off. 

The memory from my senior season that sticks with me the most is the 100 fly of district finals. I had picked my walkout song the night before, Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart. As my finals heat was seated at the end of the pool, I brought with me a fabric bag filled with sunglasses. I gathered the other swimmers around me, and I could sense their nerves. “My walkout song is Sunglasses at Night. Would you like to wear sunglasses with me for our walkout?” I expected at least someone to decline, feeling too nervous or like it would break their routine, but instead, all I got were smiles and excited faces. Each person reached into the bag, drawing out a pair of wildly shaped, dollar-store sunglasses. I couldn’t stop smiling. As we walked down the side of the pool, brightly colored sunglasses flashing, giving fist bumps and high fives to the beat of "Sunglasses at Night," I remembered how much I love this sport. I got to be that cool senior, the one who is fast enough to make funny things seem cool. That was the most confident, wholesome, and least sick I had ever felt before a race. Swimmers are pretty awesome people. 

Most surprisingly to myself and others, my favorite accomplishment in swimming was not winning the state title. But really, it was how I improved in my 200 freestyle. I hate the 200 free. It is the race that hurts the worst. It's an 8-lap sprint. Gross. But this year, instead of being afraid of the pain or dreading the race, I began to look forward to it. It was often the only race where I could race other people. And race them I did. I swam the 200 free three times this year, racing the two other state swimmers in the district. I just put my head down and raced. Yes, I was nervous before, but I felt the love of the race, of the pain, and of the adrenaline rushing through my veins, and I smiled a bit when the pain got bad. But I really raced with all my heart. I raced exhausted mid-season and stressed during late season, and I enjoyed it. I trusted my training, I raced with the discomfort, and I still stayed present. 

It took me until now - writing this - to truly feel proud of myself for winning State. All I could think about was how there was someone faster than me out there, in my head, “I'm not even that fast”. I am proud of Addy. I am proud of what I went through to get here. I am proud of the skills I learned, like leadership, team building, and most of all, confidence. I am proud of the body I have built, mentally and physically. I am proud of the way I helped build Ike swimming. I am proud to represent Yakima and Eisenhower. I worked hard to be where I am. I earned the state champ title. I am fast. And I’m still getting faster.