Looking Back at My First Swim Trials!

by Michael Andrew, World Jr. Champion
 

First of all, I can confidently say that my first Olympic Trials was a great success. Starting off with the 100m breaststroke as my first event was an incredible blessing, as it was my best chance at making the Olympic team. My very first race, prelims of the 100 breast, was amazing and turned out to be my very first time ever going under 1:00.00 in the race with a 59.96 and winning my heat! I was ecstatic. For the longest time I had been dreaming and visualizing and physically getting ready to break that barrier and by the grace of God had finally done it. With that swim came a lot of relief in the fact that I knew I now had an even better chance to make the team, but, it also brought some extra nerves because I knew I had to continue dropping time to get close to making the team.

In the semis, I dropped more time going a 59.85, breaking the World Junior Record for the second time in a day, as well as it being a 17-18 NAG (National Age Group) record. With finals the next day I did everything I could within my own ability to be in the now. What I mean when I say that is to not get worked up for finals the next day to the point where it keeps me out of getting rest and enjoying all the things going on around and through me.

Finals was great, there was so much positive energy running through the building and the crowd was crazy! I ended up coming fourth with a 59.82, what was really cool about this to me is we found out from a friend later on that I was the only athlete in the final heat of the 100 breast to get faster each time I swam the event.

Another standout swim of mine was the 200 IM! We had originally not planned on even signing up for the event. Thanks to my mom she signed me up knowing that we would possibly scratch the event if we wanted to and I was okay with that. Come time to swim the race I figured I had nothing to lose, but my fear was that I have not been training at all for the race and physically there is no way I can do the race. This is where I learned the most about “Just Racing” at Trials because I ended up going a 1:59.44 which was a best time and tied the World Junior Record!

What really made the difference for me I believe was that I went into the race with a positive attitude knowing that with God’s strength I am capable of completing the race and I was ready to experience the extreme pain that is involved in such a race. I think the fact that I was able to embrace that, I freed myself to swim to the best of my ability and I did just that.

My first Olympic Trials was such an incredible blast from racing well, to making new friends, seeing old friends, learning more about myself and my body, and putting all my trust in what God had planned for me, whether good or bad, and to be thankful for that.

I am so excited for the future. There is a ton of travelling that we as a family plan on doing and I know its the right thing to do because its part of my calling as a professional swimmer. What’s even nicer about the last few weeks of racing and experiences is that I have rediscovered what it’s like to race free of baggage and worry and to just do what I do best.

For those of you who are curious about where we will be next. This Friday and Saturday I will be racing in Columbia, Missouri for our Sectionals, and then we will be in Minnesota for the U.S. Open and Junior Nationals, and after that we depart for the first World Cup leg which starts in Paris, then to Berlin, then to Moscow… and once that is done we will fly to Fort Lauderdale for the ASCA convention where we will have a booth and my dad will be speaking on the 10th about our training.

Can’t wait to meet you all in person!