Marina, you did a fantastic job of conveying your story of “challenges and successes” to the kids. Your story is especially inspiring to many kids because I loved how you were able to share with them the idea that you came from that “middle” place, not the fastest but not the slowest. You never stopped setting goals and finding ways to better yourself, find new “starting points”, and surrounding yourself with people who believed in you. For many kids, I think that is a realistic journey and they have to find ways to keep pursuing their dreams and not give up on themselves just because they aren’t the fastest, or someone else said they couldn’t do it. From what you shared with us, it was the comradery, the teamwork, knowing you could finding strength in yourself when you knew others were depending on you. Your personal story really conveyed to us that success it is not only about reaching your goal times and goal places. Times and records shouldn’t be the only factor in determining your feelings of success or failure. It’s also about the journey you take and what values and character strengths you gain and are forever instilled in you along the way.

Of course, you also did an excellent job of demonstrating and describing how to perform each drill. You gave very easy to understand explanations for how the drill was improving their form and how the drill related to the physics and physiological concepts needed to increase speed and reduce resistance in the water. You gave everyone individual advice and kept the flow of the sessions moving along smoothly. You did a great job and kids across the country are benefitting from you! We are rooting for you to achieve all of your goals, make your last fly cut, and have a GREAT Olympic Trials next summer!

The clinic was a super fun and safe environment for children to learn, practice, and ask questions about a variety of skills needed to swim smarter, faster, and more efficiently. It was a great opportunity to hear first-hand what an elite athlete’s training regime and philosophies are as they are preparing for competition and life’s challenges. Seeing the F&F clinician demonstrate the drills with proper form and technique is so valuable to kids who learn visually because they get a better understanding of what is expected and what it should look like! The feedback given by the clinician for each child may be just what it takes to motivate them to the next level in their swimming and be a catalyst for future success!

  • Andrea Ciro
  • Carlsbad, NM