Special needs swimmer serves as an inspiration

Lakeside freshman Audrey Smith has yet to finish first in a high school swim meet, but she has won the respect and admiration of most everyone she comes in contact with.

They don't make medals or trophies for that, but her accomplishment is noticeable in the words of her teammates.

"She's probably the most spirited person on the team," said senior captain Bradley Skalak, who has been a mentor to Smith since she joined the team. "She's just the most determined person. If you tell Audrey to work on something, she'll work on it over and over and over again until she gets it right. She's really brought this team together."

Smith was born with cerebral palsy, a condition which is believed to be caused by her being born a part of quadruplets.

Smith joined the Lakeside swim team at the suggestion of members of the Adaptive Aquatics program at the Family Y. Her spirit and enthusiasm have been an asset to the team.

"If I could take her heart and put in any of my other swimmers I'd have an Olympian," said Lakeside coach Andrew Bauer.

Smith, the area's only special needs swimmer, competes stroke-for-stroke with able-bodied athletes from across the area in the 100-yard freestyle and 50-yard freestyle events. Although she had never swam competitively before this year, her race times continue to improve with nearly every practice. As her times steadily drop, her confidence rises.

"I just like to work hard. I believe that if you work hard, you'll see success," Smith said.

One of the more difficult techniques for a swimming newcomer to learn is the flip turn. Smith impressed Skalak, who also coaches youth swimmers during the summer, with her ability to latch onto the skill rather quickly.

"She got it down in about 30 minutes," Skalak said. "It's a really hard concept for some of my students but she got it down really quickly when most people don't. It's a really big deal."

Smith has gotten the bulk of her support from her mother, Cheryl, who first introduced her to swimming at the age of 4. Cheryl is proud of what her daughter has accomplished.

"When she does something, she does it 100 percent," Cheryl Smith said. "She's got a huge heart and she tries so hard and wants to do the best for the right reasons: to glorify God and to encourage her teammates."

Smith has a simple message for anyone who shares a similar condition who might not think that swimming on a high school level is possible.

"Just keep trying," she said.

Reach Joey Jones at (706) 724-0851 or christopher.jones@augustachronicle.com.