Judgement Day

She was ready. That was the single thought, running vigorously through her mind as she pulled her naturally thin hair up into a tight bun and slid the soft silicone cap with her name in bold on the back, over her head. She fiddled with her goggles, making sure that they were tight and trying to eliminate any possible hazard that could interfere with her big day. Even though she knew she was ready, nerves were slowly chipping away at her confidence, like a sculptor does to a block of stone. The atmosphere in the marshalling room was almost suffocating. The nerves of the swimmers buzzed loudly like live wires, with all their hopes and dreams hanging in the balance, all awaiting their Judgement Day. She stretched and flexed her muscles, warming and loosening them up. Her suit was tight, so tight that it felt like her organs were being compressed into each other.

She sat in her designated chair in a row with other girls, all waiting for this one race. Her coach’s words ran through her head, over and over again, like a song on replay. “This is your day. You can do this. You have put everything into this. You just have to believe.” Yes, that’s all she had to do, was believe. Believe in herself, in her ability and her coach’s words. That’s what it all came down to. The strategy he gave her before warm-up, was what she needed to concentrate on now. “Go out with the others, stay ahead with them, start building pace at the second 50 and go home hard for the last 100.”

And yet, there was still so much pressure. Pressure for her to win and make it through, to live her dream. Not just from her coach and family, but also from herself. She had to push away that voice at the back of her mind, that was always doubting her, saying she couldn’t do it and that she would fail. But this is what she had always wanted. To compete at world-class venues and swim for her country at the Olympic Games. This had always been her dream, for as long as she could remember. Being part of the Australian swim team would be the absolute best thing in the entire universe. Nothing could compare. And now finally, she had the chance to prove herself. It all came down to this one race.

“Event 32, Women’s 200m Freestyle, Heat 3. Ladies, please follow me.” The marshaller’s words echoed around the room as it became dreadfully quiet. Everyone knew this was the moment. She was never sure if it was silence out of respect or fear. They all knew that only one would get through. The row of eight girls filed out neatly from the marshalling room, all of them fiddling with some piece of their equipment, trying not to look nervous. They waited patiently in the short hallway, hidden by the grandstands above, for the previous race to start. As the sound of the beeper resonated throughout the grandstands, the marshaller led them out into the open and behind the blocks. She stood there, shaking out her arms and legs, feeling everyone’s eyes burning into the back of her head. “In lane 3, from Brisbane, Queensland, Molly Green.” The roars and applause filled the stadium as she stepped up to the blocks and waved at the crowd. She tried to look for her parents but the lights were too bright and there were so many people.

The first whistle blew, long and drawn out, which signalled the swimmers to take their positions on the blocks. “Take your marks.” She grabbed hold of the front of the block and got herself ready to race. Beep! The buzzer sounded and she flew from the block, straight into the still, cool water below. She kicked vigorously underwater and broke the surface, sucking in her first breath. He arms moved ferociously and settled into the pattern of the familiar stroke. She could see the other girls from the corner of her eyes and pushed forward, to keep ahead with them. Her coach’s plan filled her mind and she thought of nothing except winning.

She reached the end of the first fifty and turned with great speed. Now all the swimmers had spread out, separating the strong from the weak. She turned on the second fifty and this was it. She gave it all she had for this last hundred metres. Her lungs burned as she drew fewer and fewer breaths, trying to go that little bit faster. She turned at the 150m mark and sprinted. She had never gone this fast before. She felt as though she was flying through the water. She hit the wall hard with her hand and drew long breaths. She could feel her heart beat thumping in her head and the build of lactic acid made her feel ill.

She spun around to face the board and searched for her name. The time she needed was 1:58.33 and as she found her name, her heart sank. She spent her whole life waiting for this moment, and in the space of two minutes, it was all over. 1:58.35.