Team NJ During Practice Sessions at Cando Fitness

Pictures in the first slide show were taken 2/20/10 and those in the second slide show were taken on 1/9/2010

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

My Trip to Nationals

On Saturday we travelled all day on the plane. On Sunday we found the pool and did my warm-ups. The water was warm. The Opening Ceremony was on Monday. It was fun and we watched a movie. My first event was the 50YD Freestyle and I set a personal record with a time 41.68. Wednesday I finished first in the 50YD Backstroke. The 200 medley relay I swam with Daisy, Chris, and Joe. We got Gold. Thursday, I swam in the 4X25YD freestyle Relay with Joe, Tracy, and Katherine and we got a 5th place medal. Also, I swam in the 50YD freestyle and took gold. Friday in the finals for the 50YD Backstroke I got a gold medal and we had a party after the Closing Ceremony.

Friday, July 16, 2010

tomorrow is my trip to nationals

Iam very happy to go Nationals,but I am sad to leave my friends at Gold Gym.
I do not like to get up at 5:00 n the morning.but I am very excited to go.
I will miss you mom and dad.
I am very excited to see my sister at Nationals

Monday, July 12, 2010

Traveling to Lincoln, NE

7/13/10
I just found out I am taking a bus from Special Olympics New Jersey in Lawrenceville. I will be riding with my friend, Tracy and her parents. I will be swimming in four events in Lincoln: 50 yard backstroke, 50 yard freestyle, 200 yard medley relay and 100 yard freestyle relay.

Last Swim Practice at Cando Fitness

7-10-10
Today was the last team practice. Next Saturday, we leave for Lincoln. Coach Karen asked me to swim the 200 meter freestyle. I was really tired when I finished practice. I was so sore, I didn't swim on Monday. I am really excited about the trip. Can't wait until Saturday comes.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Uniform Fittings

6-30-10 and 7-1-10
I went to Special Olympics in Lawrenceville, NJ to try on my uniform. We will wear shorts and polo shirts for the opening ceremony. We also have green warm up suits and swim suits. The swimsuits didn't come in until 7/1/10 so I had to come back to try on my swimsuit which did fit. I am getting excited about my trip on July 17th.

One more team practice to go... July 10th at Cando Fitness!

Swim Practice at Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health and Wellness

6-21-10
Now that the summer games are over, all of my regular swim practices are over except team practices. So, now I am swimming with my Dad and Mom, almost every day. I swim 15 to 20 laps each day so that I stay in shape.

The Summer Games- Day 2 of Competition

6-14-10
Today, I swam in the 50 meter backstroke. I won a silver metal. We won a GOLD metal in the 200 meter freestyle relay. It was very exciting. I am tired from the busy weekend and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed instead of the dorm bed at The College of New Jersey.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Saturday at the Special Olympics Summer Games

6-12-10
We woke up early this morning to get ready for the day. We warmed up in the pool at 7:30 am and the swim meet started at 8. I got a silver medal in the 50 meter freestyle. I didn't swim against my friend, Becky, this time. After lunch, I swam the backstroke in a 4X50 medley relay. I have tendonitis on my right foot and it hurts, but I swam my best and so did the rest of the team. We won gold medals for the relay. Tonight, all of the athletes on Team NJ were introduced at the Trenton Thunder game. I was nervous. My mom and dad came to the game.

Friday, June 11, 2010

The Summer Games

6-11-2010

Today is the first day of the summer games. I am staying at The College of New Jersey. My swim team, The Red Cross Swim Team, is staying in a dorm with air conditioning. I am excited to see my friends. We are having pizza for supper. Then we are going to the opening ceremonies.

Tomorrow I will compete in the 50 meter freestyle and the 4x50 meter Medley relay. I will swim the backstroke in the relay. Tomorrow night, all of the athletes on Team NJ will go out on the field at the Trenton Thunder game. Wish me luck!

Thank You TD Bank

6-7-2010
I went to visit TD Bank in East Windsor, NJ with Jeanene Leppert of Special Olympics NJ. I went there to tell the Bank Officials about Special Olympics. When I got there,they made me feel very special. They gave me balloons, a cake, a TD sweatshirt and a bag of goodies. They were so nice to me. TD Bank donated a lot of money to Team NJ so that the athletes can go to Lincoln, Nebraska to compete.

Thank you TD Bank!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Marlins swim pratice

5/23/2010
Even though I hurt my ankle I went to pratice with the Marlins.
I tried my best but my ankle was hurting.There is no pratice with the Marilns next Sunday because it is a holiday. 7 weeks to Nationals!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Another Practice At Cando Fitness

5-15-2010
Our team practiced at Cando again. Four swimmers were there with Coach Dave. We practiced gliding in the water with a buoy to keep our legs still. I swam about a mile that day. My shoulders were so sore after practice.

Walkathon at Dutch Neck School

5-12-10
Students at Dutch Neck School in West Windsor, NJ walked to raise money for Team New Jersey. I made a podcast with Mr. Eric Butler, the Computer Teacher at the school. It was shown to all of the students before they walked. Then on May 12, students and 200 parents walked to raise money for Team NJ. I wrote them a thank you note for all of their hard work.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Swim Practice at Cando Fitness

5/1/2010

We had 4 swimmers today I found out what I am going to swim in Lincoln.I am going to swim 50 meter freestyle, 50 meter backstroke, and 2 relays. It was a long practice and I was very tired after practice.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Peddie School Swim Meet

4/25/2010
I swam in 2 races. I won a silver medal in the 50 meter freestyle and gold medal in the 50 backstroke.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Swimming with the Marlins

4-18-10
I was really excited about getting back to swimming because I couldn't swim at the team practice yesterday. I am still practicing my flip turns and diving. Looking forward to our swim meet at Peddie School next Sunday.

Swim Practice at Cando Fitness

4-17-10
I couldn't swim today but went to practice anyway to cheer on the team. It was a good practice. The girls including Coach Karen raced the boys including Coach Dave. The girls won!

Ocean County Swim Meet

4-11-10
Today was the date of the swim meet at the Ocean County YMCA. I swam in four races: 50 meter freestyle, 50 meter backstroke, 200 meter medley relay and 200 meter freestyle relay. We drove to Lakewood early in the morning. Then we warmed up in the pool and had opening ceremonies. I got a silver medal in the first three races. In the freestyle relay, my team, the Mercer Red Cross swim team, won gold medals. It was a good way to end the day.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Cando Fitness Practice

3-20-2010
In the morning we met at SONJ in Lawrenceville for uniform fitting. The colors of our swimsuits are green and black. We leave to go to Lincoln on July 17 and we get back on July 24. You can see the Team NJ website at teamnewjersey.kintera.org

In the afternoon, we had swim practice at Cando Fitness It was the first time the whole team was there.

Cando Spin-A-Thon

3-14-2010
I was invited to speak at the Spin-A-Thon held at Cando Fitness to raise money for Special Olympics NJ.Before the bikers took their class, I spoke to them about the sports I play, and I thanked them for supporting Special Olympics.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Cando Fitness and Quilt Making

3-6-10
Team NJ practiced at Cando Fitness again. They are so nice to let us swim there. We swam under the water to see how far we could glide. We also swam backward under the water, like we were doing the backstroke without our hands. It was hard. After swimming, we went to the food court to eat. Then we colored in squares of cloth with special olympics designs on them. The aquatics team is the only NJ team to make the quilt. Teams from the other states will also make quilt squares. The quilt squares from fifty-one state teams will be sewed together to make several quilts. One will be hung up in a famous quilt museum in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Second Practice with Team NJ at Cando

2/20/2010 Five swimmers were at the practice. Karen, our head coach, timed me on the freestyle, backstroke, butterfly,and relays. My mom helped her time the team for the national games. We swam for two hours. I felt tired and sore.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Swimming with the Marlins 6

2-7-10
I practiced the butterfly stroke with a strap on my legs. It helped. There weren't many swimmers there because of the super bowl game tonight.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Marlins and Sea Wasps Competed in Bernardsville, NJ

1-31-2010
I went to a swim meet with the Marlins, the Sea Wasps and some swimmers on Team NJ. Our Head Coach Karen Pratz drove up from Ocean City with one of swimmers. Another swimmer came from Westville with his family. Patty Allen, one of the Marlin's coaches gave me a Marlins swimsuit to wear. I swam in five events: 25 meter backstroke, 50 meter butterfly, 50 meter freestyle, and two 100 meter relays. I swam freestyle in the relays. I was very sore after I got done with the last relay.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Swimming Practice with Red Cross Swim Team (My Team)

1-19-2010
We raced and my friend Becky and I tied on the 50 meter freestyle 45 seconds. It was fun.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Dove Off the Diving Block Tonight-Marlins Practice 4

1-17-2010
I swam with the Marlins again. We have a swim meet on January 31,2010 with coach Joe DeSimone's team. We practiced making flip turns at the wall and we raced each other and we practiced diving. It was my second time diving off the diving block.

Nottingham Pool has Problems-No Swim Practice

1-12-2010

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Swimming with the Marlins 3

1/10/2010
I practiced with the Marlins again. I got brave to dive off the starting dock.
I was scared at first and I did it and I will do it in practice with the Mercer Red Cross team, my home team.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

First Team Practice at Cando Fitness, Princeton, NJ

1-9-2010 Cando Fitness is letting us practice at their pool it is a Beautiful club
first the team met in the lobby and we went to the locker room to put on our suit.
Then we went to the pool. We swim freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly. We practiced swimming with our fist closed. We swam for 2 hours. On the right you can see a slide show of our practice. Our next team practice is January 23,2010.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Swimming with the Marlins

1-3-10
Even though it was really cold, I went swimming with the Marlins in Freehold.
We swam for an hour without stopping. We swam all of the strokes and then we went to the therapy pool to cool down. Then the coach called my name and gave me an award for the best swimmer of the night. I was surprised.

Swam a Mile with My Sister

12-28-09

My sister, Amanda, and I went to Robert Wood Johnson Center for
Health and Wellness to swim. My sister challenged me to swim a mile with her. It was very hard. I got tired after I swam the mile. I am proud of my self.