SWIMMING IN THE FA S T L A N E by Marrison Worthington
T WO-A-DAY PRACTICES, WE I G H T L I FT I N G T H RE E T IMES A WE E K , A FULL CO U RSE LOA D O F C L ASSES, SW IM MEE TS, AND WORKI N G I N T I ME TO ST U DY, I S J U ST AN AVE RAGE WE E K FO R T H E ME MB E RS O F THE SW IMMING AN D DIVIN G T E A M AT I L L I N O I S STAT E .
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any people outside of the athletics
“To even be considered for the program when
world do not realize the dedication it
I applied you needed no less than a 3.6 grade
takes students-athletes, both in and out of the
point average, but the majority of students
classroom, to be successful in both realms. It
accepted had GPAs ranging from a 3.8 to 4.0,”
can be an especially daunting task for athletes
JONES said. “As a nursing major at Illinois State
whose academics demand more than simple
University, those accepted into the program do
studying.
not only have to excel in the classroom, but also
Swimmers, KATHERINE NELSON, KRISTIN HORNEY & VALERIE JONES know this pressure
all too well. All three athletes are studying to become nurses and have each been inspired to take this path due to life experiences.
“Growing up I have always been exposed to nursing because my mom is a nurse,” said
have to attend clinicals and pass a test to receive their nursing license.” In the case of NELSON, JONES and HORNEY, they use one another as a support system to make it through the weekly struggles and stress. “We study together when we can and always help each other to stay on top of classes and practice,” HORNEY said.
HORNEY . “However, I really knew I wanted to be
“I call KRISTIN at least once a week to go
a nurse when my brother got into a car accident.
through our class checklist and get organized for
He was hospitalized for a period of time and his
the week,” NELSON added.
nurses left a lasting impression on our whole family. I had always loved science and wanted to help people. After seeing the relationship they had with families and how they helped my brother, I knew it was the perfect fit for me.” Each of these swimmers has their own reason to love nursing, but that is not always enough to be accepted and make it through the program.
As for moral support, they are there for each other sending encouraging text messages throughout the week. The swimmers also look to their teammates and head coach STEVE PASKA for encouragement. JONES , who currently is a semester ahead
of HORNEY and NELSON in nursing courses, had a tough decision to make last year. She
was debating whether or not to apply for early admission into the program to begin courses the spring of her sophomore year, instead of waiting until the next fall. She turned toward PASKA to help her with this decision that was not only going to add more pressure academically, but would also be more time consuming than
KATHERINE NELSON
her current courses. “Academics are so important to Coach PASKA ,” said HORNEY . “He is always behind you and will support you through the ups and downs of academics and athletics. When I came to him about my concern and how I was nervous about applying, he enthusiastically told me to go ahead and do it.”
“ We are part of a 30-girl team and a staff that continues to stand behind us and go above and beyond to help us succeed both in and out of the pool.” -JONES Family is the best way to describe the bond of
Each of the swimmers agreed that PASKA is their
the swimmers, especially HORNEY, JONES and
biggest fan. He is a huge support system, and he
NELSON who rely on each other in a way a family
wants them to succeed in everything thing they
depends on one another.
do while at Illinois State.
“After my recent injury, I thought things might change, as my role has changed for the team, but they have made me feel as though nothing has changed at all,” said HORNEY . Not only has the team and staff been a huge help to HORNEY , JONES and NELSON , but so has the school. Although there are many struggles that come along with being a student-athlete, Illinois State has helped these swimmers to thrive in their course work. VALERIE JONES
“Being part of a team at ISU was a blessing,”
JONES and NELSON seek to drop current
said HORNEY . “The study center is one of the
personal-bests, while NELSON would also like to
biggest resources in the world for us.”
win conference in one of her many events.
Managing swimming and academics alone is a balancing act, but couple that with the extracurricular nursing components, and it becomes a daunting task for anyone. “It has really helped me to be able to manage my time better, but we still never get any sleep as nursing majors,” JONES laughed. KRISTIN HORNEY
MOST IMP ORTA N T LY, T H E I R EXPER IE N C E S AT ILL I NO I S S TAT E HAVE TA U GH T T H E S E S WI M M E R S THAT T H E Y C A N D O AN Y T H I N G AND T O ON LY D RE A M B I G G E R .
Since being accepted in to the nursing major each of them have set post graduate goals of going further than their Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. HORNEY would like to become a nurse practitioner and be part of a Doctors Without Borders program. JONES wants to work for a surgical unit and go to graduate school at a teaching hospital. As for NELSON , she plans on working in an Intensive Care Unit in preparing to become a nurse anesthetist. NELSON, HORNEY and JONES all said they have
set team and personal goals for the 2013-2014 season as well. They said their team goal for the year is to swim for each other. “This means doing your best to earn points for the entire team even if you are not placing in the top-three,” said NELSON .
“
We are part of a team that will fight for you and help you to get to the top,” said HORNEY .
“There is no other
place that will help you
”
make your dreams a reality quite like Illinois State can.