A girl with a broken leg....just wanting to keep up with everyone else!!

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.  "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Ever since I was young, I wanted to "Keep up" with my siblings.  Whatever they did I wanted to do.  I remember living in Lead with the forest as our back yard.  If my sisters wanted to climb the hill, I wanted to climb the hill.  If my sisters wanted to build a fort in the tree, I wanted to build a fort in the tree.  I remember one tree right by our back yard, I was standing at the trunk, crying and begging them to help me up.  They told me that there was no possible way I could get up there. They were right, but I was determined to try!!!  I remember being so mad that they wouldn't "help" me. 
  Also growing up my twin sister and my brother were on the swim team.  I been terrified of water since I was three.  My mom told me that Dad took me to the pool and Brooke and Jason were swimming and I was with dad.  He sat me on the edge and was talking to someone.   Again I wanted to be like my siblings so I must of jump in.  Dad caught me right away, but the experience freaked me out.  So much so that every time I would get into water I would choke whoever was holding me. 
I remember doing swimming lessons in elementary school but still being terrified.  In sixth grade, I joined an adaptive PE class with Jim Phillips.   The first couple months he fought with me to get off the stairs or the wall.  When I did get off the stairs, I told him he would never get me into the deep end (10ft)!!  We worked on getting to the 7 ft end.  I remember that I would swim right by the wall and only go in between 7 and 8 feet.  I don't remember how he convinced me to every go to the deep end.  But he did.  I kind of remember being on his back to get to the deep end, then holding on for dear life to the wall.  I would swim back and forth from the wall to the ladder.  I would also grew in my fear and would go under water.  Mr. Phillips tried so hard to get me to go under water to try to touch the bottom for 10 ft.  He did not succeed!!  :) 
Poor Mr. Phillips I gave him a lot of grief.  I wined a lot during adaptive PE.  In the summer I would not go because it was "too early."  I told him a lot that "I can't!!!"  He never let me get away with that.


"You are altogether beautiful, my love;
    there is no flaw in you."  Song of Sol. 4:7
 

After the first year of adaptive PE, I started to be on the swim team.  My mom thought I was crazy, because I was still scared of water.  But again I wanted to be just like my sister, who was on the swim team!!!!  The first year of me being on the swim team I did not do any meets, and just practice with the team after school.  My second year, my coaches thought it be fun to sign me up for my first meet, a 50 meter freestyle.  My first swim meet, it took me over 3 minutes to go down and back in the pool.  Most of this time was holding on to the rope, thinking and telling Brooke (who was on the deck), I can't do this.  I got to the first 25 meters, and had to turn around and go back to the DEEP END!!!  I think I stopped more going to the deep end, because I was scared of the deep.  I would also have to stop and rest.  Most of the time if you stop, you are disqualified.  But everyone was so proud of me, they must of gave me a out!    I remember people cheering and standing on their feet.  Brooke was right on edge of the pool, walking the length of the pool, cheering me on!!!  My amazing teammates were at the shallow end also cheering me on!!

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you.  Do not be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."  Isaiah 41:10





This was the start of a great nine years of being part of a team!!!  Through those years, I continued to do the 50 freestyle.  I got down to swimming it in a minute and about 15 seconds.  Because of my CP, I can't kick my right leg and barely kick my left leg so I had to rely on my arms.  A couple years later my coaches thought it be fun to try the 100 meter breaststroke.  That is double the pool!!  Of course  I wanted to try!  With the freestyle, you can pretty much swim any stroke you want as long as you don't stop.  But with the breaststroke, the judges are more strict with the kick and arm movements.  But because of CP, my coaches found a rule that I could not be disqualified for my kick.  The breaststroke was a slower swim, so I think I did it in about three and a half minutes!!


About 1997
Lead Deadwood 76ers
 

Being part of the swim team made me feel accepted, at a time in my life when I didn't feel very accepted by my  peers.  My teammates even wanted me on their relay team, even though they knew we would come in last.  I tried to argue with them, that if I swam the relay, they would come in last.  That did not matter to them.  I was part of the team!!!!
I swam all of middle and high school.  I loved it.  It gave me something to be apart of.  I always said I loved swimming because it is a very individual sport!!  It also help me over come a fear of mine.

I think this is Britt with a couple of the girls from my brother's
swim team.  I kind of remember going to his swim meets!  All of us baby girls must have been
been very popular with the swim team girls!!!