In lane 5, seated number one, the fourteen year old, Rebecca Phelps! The announcer said as I got pumped for my race! This was the A Final of the woman’s 100 Butterfly, at the Fina World Championships. I am more ready and pumped than ever before I said to myself as they called the names out of my fellow competitors! I was so nervous, but I knew that this was my year I am seated number one in the world! I was trying to be as confident to myself as I could be so I would make sure that I didn’t psych myself out!

The whistle blew once then twice! I was so excited! As I hopped on the blocks I squeezed my goggles to my eyes, to make sure they didn’t fall off, and did my two claps (my thing I do before every race). Then I told myself that I can do this! Take your mark! The official said! Beep! I dove off the blocks hard. I knew that this was going to be a tuff race because I had so many tough competitors racing me. I told myself to stay calm, because I knew if I didn’t I would regret in the end. As I hit the second turn I noticed that I was in the lead, so I decided to just give everything that I had on the last 50. As I went into the third wall I felt this terrible pop. This sheer pain just went over my whole left shoulder.

The next thing I knew the life guards were pulling me out of the water, and the medics were racing over to me. I was in so much shock I didn’t know what was going on. All I knew was I was being put in an ambulance and on my way to the hospital. As soon as I got to the hospital they put me in a MRI Scanner, it hurt so bad as they were lifting me off the stretcher into the machine. After about 30 minutes in that thing I was in sheer pain, and they had quick immediate results. As the doctor set down to tell me the results, he had a terrible look on his face. My mom asked him what the results were, and he said that I tore my whole entire rotator cuff on my left shoulder.

I just started busting out crying, after I had heard this terrible news. I asked what did that mean. He said that means that you will have to go through major surgery, then major recovery. Then I asked him can I ever swim again. He said that the chances are very slim, but if you ever did you would never be as good as you once were. I started crying, I was devastated. The Olympic Trial was only two years away. It was so hard to know that I was seated number one in the world, and could have been an Olympic champion, and now I may never get to swim again. All I knew to do was pray to God that everything would be okay.

So after my surgery was over, I was in so much pain. I couldn’t move any of my upper body without hurting in terrible pain. I stayed in the hospital for about two days. Finally after those two days were up I got to go home. On my way home the only thing that I could think about was getting back and training. Three weeks after I had been at home, I started my recovery process. It was terrible, it hurt so bad. The first time they asked me to put my arms up I was in so much pain, that I threw up.

I continued my recovery for about eight more weeks; I was getting so much better. The doctors even said that I was progressing faster than they thought I would. The question was when I could get back in the pool. So when I had been in recovery for almost nine months they gave me the go ahead to start swimming again! I was so EXCITED! The first day I was back, I was so excited to see my coach and all of my best friends! The first two weeks that I was back in the water I had to get my basics back, so I made sure I didn’t hurt myself again.

After about two months after I got the basics down, and I was getting stronger, I started training harder than I ever had before. The Olympic Trials were less than a year away, I wasn’t sure if I could make it because of all that has happened, but it was still worth a try. I was going to work as hard as I could for the next six months, and then it’s time for taper. So I went to a couple of meets and I did terrible, but I didn’t let this bring me down. Two months before the Olympic Trials I went to a big meet, I had a good feeling. At that meet I made five Olympic Trials Cuts!!!! I was so excited!! So for the next two months I brought down my yardage, and started tapering. The next thing I knew I was on my way to Omaha Nebraska! I was so nervous and excited at the time!

When I got there it was so overwhelming, because there were so many competitors, and millions people in the stands. The first day I swam the 100 free, and back. I made the A finals in both, but I didn’t make the Olympic team I got third in both. The next day I had the 400 IM! That was one of my favorite events; I got third in that to! I was getting off to a great start! I made the 400 free relay!!! I was so excited! But I still haven’t made the Olympic Team in an individual event! See you have to get top 2 in an event to make it! But tomorrow were my favorite two events the 100 fly and the 200 free, and I had a good feeling!!

So I swam in the prelims, and felt awesome in both events I also made the A final in both!! So that night in warm-up I was feeling GREAT! When we started the walk out I was more nervous than I had ever been before, but I remedied myself that I could do it!! After they had called out all eight competitors, they blew the whistle once, then twice, and then it was time for me to get on the blocks!! Take your mark!! I heard the official say! I bent down, Beep! I dove off as hard as I could, when I hit the water I reminded myself to keep calm for the first 25, then I could give it all I had! When I hit the wall I noticed I was in third place! It was go time!!! I just put my head down and gave it all I had to the finish!! When I hit the wall I was so exhausted so I hit the wall, turned around and looked at the score board and realized I had one!!! I made the Olympic Team!!! I was so EXCITED AND HAPPY! Then I swan the 200 Free and got third, so I made the 4x200 free relay!
Two weeks after that I was on my way to Rio!! I was so excited and so nervous, but more ready and pumped then I ever had been!! When I got there the 100 Fly was only in three days. So for the next three days I got a lot of rest and prepared myself!!! The morning of the 100 Fly I felt great, and just soared through prelims, I made the A final!! So I went and rested and prepared myself for the final that night
!! That night in warm-ups I was feeling great!! I was getting very nervous!! My mom and coach reminded me that I can do it!! So when I walked out it was awesome, the crowd was electric!!! After they had called all of my competitors out, it was show time!! I heard the Americans chanting USA before the whistles blew!! I got on the blocks, did my normal routine, and Beep!!

I dove off as hard as I could and just took it out as hard as I could because I knew that I had worked hard enough to finish, the race even know I would be taking it out hard. So when I got to the turn I noticed I was in second place, but there was no time for slowing down!! When I hit the wall I just heard all these people yelling and cheering!!! So I turned around looked at the scoreboard in amazement, and noticed I had a world record, and won first place!! So I just jumped up in so much excitement!! I could not believe that I had finally reached my dreams!!!!

A few moments after that it was time for the ceremony!! When they called my named I got on the first place block, and they put the gold medal around my neck!! It was such an emotional moment, to know that two years ago I had surgery now I’m standing here with a gold medal around my neck!! I just reminded myself of how much God has blessed me, and how much I had gone through!! As they called my name one more time I thought to myself, now I’m a Golden Girl!!!!