He had Jacoby sign the back of his t-shirt. Dean Orbison is an Alaska Masters silver medalist in the 100 fly in the 60-year-old age group. Edgecumbe Aquatics Center who were going to stick with it – with or without inspiration from a charismatic Olympian. And I hope more consider doing that too.”Īnd there were a few swimmers at the Mt. So I’m glad that he’s gonna stick with it. “I mean, I think that’s definitely something that happens in a lot of the sports like running, swimming, skiing, you know, people don’t think of them as “cool.” So it’s neat to kind of gotten to this level and realize how cool it really is and know what amazing people keep doing it. “Yeah, that’s great to hear,” said Jacoby. I told Jacoby what 13-year old James Nellis had told me, that he had decided to keep swimming, despite feeling the pull of friends and other sports. She said that she was just glad to have made it to the Olympics her thrill at winning was written all over her face on the video. Jacoby shared some Olympic stories with the kids, the early-morning hours, the intense training, and how to take into competition whatever attitude helped you in practice. And, as she told the Sitka kids, “I’m only 17” - meaning, she’s got a few more Olympic Games ahead of her. She told the Barracudas that she wasn’t disheartened by the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics by a year (from 2020 to 2021), as the extra time was put to good use in more training. Jacoby is a senior at Seward High School, who will attend the University of Texas next fall. And she’s been super encouraging through the whole Olympic process for me, so she’s been awesome.” She came to do a clinic with our team a few years ago, when I was 13, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. “She was the world record holder in the 100 breaststroke before Lily King. “I was really inspired by Jessica Hardy,” Jacoby answered. When the races were done, and the autographs signed, I asked Jacoby if she ever experienced a day like this one, when someone helped motivate her. You have to stick with it because it’s tough.” “It’s not the same as you know, a season of basketball or a season of baseball or something else like that. “You know, when you’re trying to stay in and get better and better and better, you have to keep at it,” said Knox. Kevin Knox says it is something every swimmer struggles with. I took note when, in her talk to the kids, Jacoby mentioned that just as she was breaking into the record books in Alaska as a 12-year old, her friends began turning to other more social sports. I’ve felt that before, and I thought I’m gonna keep going now. Nellis – When she said a lot of her friends were dropping out and she wanted to quit. KCAW – Did anything Lydia say inspire you to keep swimming? I think she gave you a little bit of a head start. KCAW – did you touch the wall before Lydia? James Nellis just managed to edge out Jacoby. Jacoby gives the same starting advantage to all the age groups, and the competition tightens up a bit with the teens. When the kids are nearly halfway down the pool, Jacoby dives in and breaks the surface just in front of the pack, swims two or three strokes to touch the wall, then turns and waits for everyone to catch up. Nine swimmers shoot from the blocks, but Jacoby remains standing on hers. ![]() (KCAW/Katherine Rose)Īt the starting blocks, Knox and Jacoby organize the swimmers into heats, youngest to oldest, to take on the fastest female breaststroker in the world. ![]() Edgecumbe Aquatics Center, nearly all of Sitka’s Baranof Barracudas were able to test their mettle against the fastest woman breaststroke in the world. Who wants to race? With 10 competition lanes at the new Mt. She gave a short talk beforehand to introduce herself to the kids and parents, and let them pass around her gold and silver medals from the Tokyo Olympics. Jacoby, the 17-year old high school senior from Seward, has been warming up in the water with the young swimmers, moving from lane to lane, chatting. Knox – We have one more drill we’re gonna do we’re gonna end at the deep end, everybody when you get down there climb out and we’re gonna find a few people to race. On the starting block, she is every inch the larger-than-life Olympic athlete who captured the gold medal in the Women’s 100-meter breaststroke last summer. On the pool deck, Lydia Jacoby – somewhere south of 6-feet tall – towers over the 30-odd Baranof Barracudas swimmers schooling around her. ![]() Emily Routon and her children Ruthann (l.) and Asa (r.) look at Lydia Jacoby’s gold medal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - the first-ever won by an Alaskan swimmer.
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