Quitting is not an option

By Kristi Lambert

Caitlin Powell comes from a family of swimmers and has been swimming as long as she can remember. After community lessons, she began to swim competitively on the bronze team for the Cache Valley Marlins at six years old. Now at 15 years old and in her sophomore year, Powell is one of the swim captains for the Logan High School Grizzlies. Powell has yet to decide whether or not she will follow in her mother’s footsteps by swimming in college because of her injuries.

In January, Powell was diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome.

Hypermobility syndrome is a condition that affects the joints, in Powell’s case the shoulders. Powell’s shoulders easily move beyond the normal expected range. She also has tendinitis in her right shoulder and problems with her rotator cuff. The pain that Powell experiences from these injuries is heightened when she participates in vigorous activities.

“Usually the times it bothers me most is during long distance freestyle or butterfly,” Powell said. “It’s kind of a hard thing to explain. I guess it’s like a really sharp pain. Only in certain movements though. It feels like someone is stabbing me really fast. Then I take a stroke and it goes away. Then it comes back.”

After being diagnosed, Powell’s doctor told her that she had two options. She could undergo surgery or go through a rehabilitation program. Powell discarded the option of surgery and agreed to do physical therapy. It was suggested that she take a year or two off from swimming because if she aggravated her joints even more or if the pain became worse, she would be looking at surgery.

Quitting swimming was not an option for Powell.

“I kind of followed their advice,” she said. “I went to physical therapy. Took a break over the summer and then came back for swimming in the fall. It wasn’t really a question. I don’t think I could ever stop swimming. It’s a lifestyle. I’ve gone to practice every day since I was eight or nine. You can’t just stop doing something when you’ve been doing it your whole life.”

Powell is no longer doing physical therapy because her doctor told her it would be counterproductive if she kept swimming. In February, she plans to continue when the swim season is over.

Pain, whether from an injury or not, is something athletes will face in sports. The ability to tolerate and push through the pain is essential for an athlete to succeed. Powell has done just this.  

Despite her injuries, in February at the 4A state swimming championships, Powell took sixth place in the 200-yard individual medley and fifth place in the 100-yard breaststroke.  Powell intends to do better at state this year. To accomplish her goal, she has a new mindset.

“It’s not restricting me at all because last year I let my shoulder take over my swimming. If it’s going to bother me I may as well do it. It’s not limiting me mentally because I’ve decided to do everything, where as last year, I took it easier because of my shoulders. Physically it has a bit, but I can still keep up with the fastest swimmer in the lane,” Powell said.

Her love for the water, the sport and the team has kept Powell in the pool.

“I push through the pain for a lot of different reasons. The people on my team are like family. I’ve swam with most of them for over four or five years. I wouldn’t give it up,” Powell said.

With a team for a second family, Powell found support from her fellow swimmers and coaches.

“I feel like almost everyone on the swim team is friends with everyone, which helps us get through injuries quicker as a team,” junior Cole Museus said.

“The swim team is a family. We are always there to help our team,” senior Brittny Gunnell said.

Jerry Hodgkinson, LHS’s head swim coach, said that Powell has impacted the team.

“Caitlin’s peers see her as a leader and watch her pushing through the pain. It’s kind of one of those things, if she can do it, I can do it,” Hodgkinson said.

“I know I’ve experienced the worse pain I have while swimming. It’s not going to get better. It does no good to complain,” Powell said. “If I’m going to be here; I’m going to do this.” 

(M. Menzdorf)