THANK YOU all so much for your comments and fav's on yesterday's SPLASH and NO DIVING shots. I am so glad you liked them! I'm totally behind on my commenting (watching swimming all day) but I promise to catch up soon.
Day Two of the Vancouver Island Regionals are over and with it comes more swimming photos (I hope you don't mind). I know this isn't the clearest of shots (I didn't realize my settings weren't quite right until later) but I loved the energy and story behind it that I just have to include it in my extras album for the memory alone.
The soon to be 14 year old in the pool was swimming a 400 IM (100m butterfly, 100m back, 100m breast, 100m free). She has been working on achieving a "western" time standard and had gotten closer and closer the past few meets to the point that she was less than .10 of a second away. Tonight was her last chance. Her teammates surrounded the edge and end of the pool and screamed for her!! When the race was over we all stared at the clock (it seemed to take forever for the time to come up) and when her coach gave the thumbs up, they all screamed again! She got her time and gets to go to Saskatoon to compete in about 3 weeks. Her parents, sister and both sets of grandparents were also there cheering her on. It was a great night.
My kids did well too. Gage got 2 golds and 2 bronze medals today in his four swims. Kennedy had two swims and got two personal best times and moved up from 6th to 4th in 200 breast final tonight.
@kbalychev Thanks, Kim. I am filled with pride for their swimming accomplishments but today it was their sportsmanship that meant the most. Both my kids are very quiet and reserved. They always say "thank you" in restaurants but they do so, so quietly, I'm not sure it's always heard. Kennedy cheered her heart out for her friend today. Then, at the end of one my Gage's races, he turned to the boy in the lane beside him and initiated a high five (something he's never done before). That was my proudest moment today!
@kwind Awww that is something to be proud of! :) it is so great to see kids be happy and cheering on one another :) especially your own! :) sounds like an awesome weekend! :)
Wow, you really did capture the emotion, energy, and spirit. this is one of those examples of why still photography is better than video. You could watch a video of this swim meet over and over and never even notice this great moment. Wonderful image. Fav
I agree with @jcarrollphoto -- you've captured the spontaneous emotion and excitement of that instant (amazingly, without any of those flailing arms hiding the faces) as only still photography can. Bravo to you ... and congratulations to your kids!
This is a fav for me. You've captured that story so beautifully and with such feeling!! I'm such a crybaby when it comes to kids doing their thang...whatever that thang is. It just tugs at my momma heartstrings, I guess. This photo and your story made me get all teary-eyed...really great shot. Congrats to your kids too! I looked at all of your photos from the matches...sounds like they did awesome!!
Well done to Gage and Kennedy too.