It鈥檚 come full circle for Olympic swimmer Kierra Smith.
After staring her swimming career in 麻豆精选 over 10 years ago, the 2016 Rio Olympian has returned to the Okanagan to train and prepare after the 2020 Olympics were postponed in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this week.
鈥淚t was just so unrealistic, you鈥檇 have never had foreseen this,鈥� said Smith.
鈥淏ut it had to happen. I鈥檓 grateful for the Canadian Olympic Committee for valuing us as people and not just athletes. Now I can focus on staying safe and healthy, and I get to use this extra time to amp myself up, it鈥檚 another year I get in my career, another year of the pressure, excitement and focus. It鈥檒l be good.鈥�
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A member of the Canadian national team since 2014, the former 麻豆精选 Aquajet has been training hard since her last Olympics in 2016 in Rio (where she placed 7th in the 100 metre breaststroke).
Now, with the Tokyo Olympics expected to be pushed to summer 2021, having her entire schedule shifted and pushed back to adapt to the pandemic is just another challenge that she, and other Olympians, must overcome.
鈥淎thletes are adaptable by nature,鈥� said Smith.
鈥淚t gives up-and-comers a chance to continue to develop, which, big scheme, is very good for our country and teams. There are inevitable ups and downs in any sport, and I think everyone can adapt to it and come out stronger on the other end.鈥�
Coming back to the Okanagan after living her life in Minneapolis and Toronto wasn鈥檛 just for the comfort of being at home with family and friends during a global crisis, it was a strategic move to focus on her training by reconnecting with Aquajets coach Emil Dimitrov.
Smith said that she always saw herself training once again in 麻豆精选 and didn鈥檛 want to do without her former coach.
鈥淲e鈥檝e gone back to the basics,鈥� she said.
鈥淓mil listens and that really helps me develop a cohesive breaststroke. It makes a difference the way people speak to you when you train and luckily for me he鈥檚 willing to work with me right now.
It makes trying to be the best in the world a lot easier.鈥�
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The fate of the 2021 Olympics are currently in limbo and while that part of her future isn鈥檛 in her control, she鈥檚 focusing on the things that are in her control: her training, attitude and perseverance.
鈥淚鈥檓 just thinking about swimming and being on the podium.鈥�
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