Technically First Place: Rory Mason overcomes swim nerves, focuses on improving

“I technically got first place,” junior Rory Mason said, regarding her first swim meet of the 25-26 school year. “It was a really small meet, so I was the only person in the 100 I.M. category.” Despite being the only competitor in her category, Mason didn’t feel too unaccomplished. This is because Mason doesn’t find her motivation in what she places; instead, she focuses on improving her time between meets and bonding with her teammates. 

 “I like that in swim, you can measure your success. It’s a time race sport, so you can compare your times and really know where you need to improve,” Mason said. She notes that she has improved greatly since her freshman year, “I’m proud of the difference between my freshman year and now; I think I've really improved on both speed and technique.”  

Mason began swimming competitively during her eighth grade year through Mount Hood Aquatics. “I’ve always loved to swim, and I’ve taken swim lessons since I was really little,” Mason said. Her freshman year, she joined the Sandy High School swim team where she learned to overcome her nerves. 

Mason recounts what swimming on the high school team was like for her, “We just jumped right into it. There wasn’t much prep – it was just go from the start.” This fast-paced start to the season contributed to Mason’s pre-meet nervousness. She used to worry about “how [her] dives would go or if [her] goggles would come off,” but she has since overcome this anxiety and claims to have significantly more fun. She credits much of this growth to her team.

 “We have a lot of fun in the pool. In between working out, we’re always playing around,” Rory said. “Once we actually start swimming, it’s definitely exhausting, but I think there’s such a rhythm to it –  it becomes calming.”  

Mason enjoys the rhythm of swimming and the routine practice schedule. Despite having a large course load at school, Mason finds time to balance swim practice five days a week with all of her homework. She will often complete homework on the bus and in school, always attempting to finish her assignments as early as possible. This practice allots more time for her to focus on improving her swimming skills.  

“I definitely would like better dives; I think I could be a lot faster,” Mason says. Despite no current plans to swim competitively after high school, she is determined to continue improving her swimming skills throughout the next two years. This aligns with Mason’s belief that the most important aspect of her sport is “really giving it your all and working hard” because “you only have a few minutes at meets that really count.” 

Mason will continue to work hard not only for herself but for her team. “One thing I really love about swim is that when one person is in a race, everyone on the team goes and cheers for them by their lane,” Mason said. She notes that this is not only helpful to her when she is competing, but cheering for others helps to distract her from any pre-meet nervousness she may have.  

Her teammates’ encouragement paired with Mason’s determination results in constant  improvement. At her second meet of the school year, Mason greatly improved her breaststroke time. “I was much happier with [the time]; I’ve also been working on my turns and felt good about it at that meet,” Mason said. It is evident that, even if Mason’s only competition is her own best time, her persistence and the community found in swim will result in even more growth throughout the season.