History in the Making

This is a picture of the result, but what did it take to get there?

A lot of hard work and perseverance.

Lindenwood Synchronized Swimming is now the Collegiate National Champions! We swept first in all the routine events (Solo, Duet, Trio, and Team) and as you can tell from the picture, we're all super excited. In this picture is 3 amazing coaches, and 20 extremely hard working girls. Not shown, are 3 of our teammates who cheered us on from Lindenwood campus and are just as much a part of this victory as the girls who are seen above. 

This weekend, LU History was made.We pushed limits and aimed for a goal that 6 years ago could not have been dreamed of.

The Collegiate National Title.

So how did we make it? This is how.

First off the wall routine: Usher

Reem, Laia and Aly busted out an amazing medley of Usher songs with an EXTREME amount of Energy. These girls make me smile every day, and they're just the kind of crazy to be able to pull off this routine. Synchronized Swimming likes that "classical" or "movie" music. Simple. No words, an easy melody...Usher is definitely not what was expected. They entertained like they were holding their own concert. What an amazing thing to watch.

Next up: Fall of Rome

Caroline, Hannah and McKinzie are three girls who, against different practice schedules and hardly any full runs, came together for a performance. The music was more "synchro" but they made it their own. They're such amazing girls and I'm so proud to call them my friends and teammates. I love these girls to death and they did an amazing job.

Three depicting seven: Deadly Sins

Myself, Dennise and Anouk pulled together a routine to depict all Seven of the Deadly Sins in a 3 minute block of time. Difficult, but possible. There have been many times I couldn't have survived practice without these two. Momma Killman made some gorgeous suits for us to rock while we swam, and we made that routine ours. I never wanted a Trio, but this routine and these girls have made me appreciate and even, dare I say it, love swimming trio. All of our work was paid off with a Gold Medal in the Trio event! Love you girls!!

 Duet Time: The Game Has Changed/Mirrors

Reem and I came together as one for a duet that literally depicted an internal struggle. Call it Mirrors, mention how some of the music is from Tron, but the Game definitely changed when we took to the pool. Our walkout was mirrored, and directly next to each other, which is never done in the Synchro community. Then with one or the other acting as a reflection of the other, we swam our way to 1st with energy. Gotta love ya Reem. We worked hard for this, and I'm so happy it paid off. I definitely couldn't have done it without you!

The one that made them Cry: Daniela

I don't think there was a dry eye in the entire arena after this girl swam. Daniela swims with a passion and love of the sport that can be matched by no one. Two years ago, she couldn't speak a word of English. Today she's one of my greatest friends and one of the hardest workers I know.

                                                                     Feeling Good: Me

I swam to a dubsteb version (Yes, I said dubstep! There's a jump away from traditional Synchro...) of "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. My favorite compliment, was that my swim was the reason someone actually LIKED watching solos! Sometimes they can be boring, it is SYNCHRONIZED swimming after all. How do you synchronize by yourself? You'd be surprised. Thank you to EVERYONE who helped me earn a 90 in score to take 1st place.

The Jungle: "Be the Tiger"

Regardless on if we're Lions or not, one of the freshman said this before the routine swam. It just shows the personality of this team. Hannah, Caroline, Carmen, Kirsten, Emily, Kelli, Simona, and Nathalia, you girls are a class act with personalities to match. Great job embracing your animals and truly bringing The Jungle to Life.

Out of this world: Aliens

Who would've thought that Kanye West and Beyonce could be Alien themed? We did. And that's what makes yall special. Anouk, Reem, Dennise, McKinzie, Aly, Irene, Laia and Amanda are a group of girls that can make anything seem the way they want it. Y'all are definitely a group of performers if I've ever seen them. Congratulations on your 1st place placing by just that much. Aly, MVP for sure. For those who want to know why, watch the video. First Lift. I've never heard people cheer so loudly for a team.

Our team had a set of goals and we were going to reach them. From my experience here at Lindenwood, I've learned that sometimes it takes going against what is the "norm" to set higher standards.

I'm so Proud of my Lady Lion teammates. Congratulations girls!

--Mary

The Importance of a Team

First off, I'd like to apologize for this blog being so delayed! I've had a lot on my plate lately. Our team competed at Regionals and swept Gold in all the routine events! This means we put a hitch in Ohio State's 23 year regional championship list of titles. Exciting and definitely one for the history books. But we're not done yet! Still collegiates to go and we're working harder than ever.

However that's not what this blog post is about. I recently received an e-mail on my facebook page (www.facebook.com/marykillman) from a woman who has two young daughters who both compete in a sport that I hold dear to my heart. Synchronized Swimming.

If you know anything about the sport of Synchronized Swimming, or even if you don't, most notice it is a team sport. Sure, it has Duets, and Trios, and even solo's! I myself am a soloist, but while a routine by yourself can be impressive, it just doesn't have the same feeling as when you are surrounded by 7 of your teammates. The image of walking proud across the deck, diving in the water before performing a (hopefully) flawless routine with lifts soaring into the air and amazing scores at the end all before all 8 of you, screaming like 10 year old girls, are hugging and celebrating your hardwork and amazing friendships...

Sometimes however that's not the case.

Sometimes it's difficult to work in a sport where estrogen runs rampant and puberty hits at seemingly all ages. Sometimes you don't get along with everyone. Sometimes you just really don't want to go to practice because Shannon said something about you to Tanya who told Abby who obviously had to inform Lisa about it before the entire scenario got back to you two weeks later and your feelings were hurt over it.
Sometimes it happens.

But what can we do about it? Honestly, nothing. Girls will be girls, boys will be boys, and people will spread rumors long after the sun sets. What we can do however, is learn and understand that as a TEAM you are strong. Without each other, you can get no where...or at least it's a lot harder. 

At this point, we think cohesion is impossible. Hold steady my friends, it's not. Anything is impossible if you set your mind to it. I was sitting in my management class today, where we went over a chapter about Teams. There was a story of an athlete who truly did not enjoy being around his teammates. However, they had a pact that as a team, they were unstoppable. As a team, they were the best of friends and could celebrate in the wins and mourn over the losses. As a team, they could do anything. Whatever personal problems they had were left at the gate before walking onto the field. The moment that jersey went on, it was a new life. It was a time where there are no worries, no problems, and no issues...only trust, courage, spirit, and a want to succeed. 

This is what a team should learn.
Trust. Courage. Spirit. Want.
Team is not spelled with an "i" for a reason! 

Babe Ruth was a true team player. Not everyone liked him, but he had his share of respect. A great teammate is someone who truly puts the team before themselves. Someone who cares about the essence of his or her teammates.

After all, you could have a Bobsledding team full of Olympic Gold Medalists in Luge but unless they learn to work together, they may end up upside down after a sharp turn. You could put together a Rowing team of 8 individual record holders in singles and still not place on the medal stand if they don't work together to synchronize the catch and release of each stroke. If they ignore the others, the boat will not travel at it's fastest pace. 

Teamwork. It's important if you wish to get anywhere.
Enjoy the journey, nothing will be easy, but teammates make it bearable.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to check out my website, or my facebook page! I'll do my best to keep my blog posts updated. :) Keep sending me questions or comments and I can talk about them in my next blog post! Have a great day!

--Mary

Colorado Competition

Well, here's to being about 2-3 weeks late on my blog updates. But I do have a good excuse! Please check out the picture below:

Check out my Team. These are the lovely Lindenwood Lady Lions I swim with every day and get the amazing opportunity to compete with! I'm so proud to be a part of this family and they are what has made my Collegiate experience years that I'll never forget. I'm only a sophomore and I can't wait to see what we have in store for the rest of the season!

So to update everyone on why it's taken me so long to update, it's because we've been training for our competition that we had this weekend! Lindenwood Synchronized Swimming competed in Fort Collins against Colorado State and Arizona State. A tri-meet that had it's ups and downs, it's difficulties to overcome, and great memories to remember.

We as a team won the competition over all, and got a lot of good feedback on our routines and the caliber of our team. We are an elite group of girls who are ALWAYS pushing and it's amazing to be a part of that.

We're already working towards our next competition in Florida against Stanford and Florida State, and I can't wait to see everyone!

Sorry everyone, short update, but I've been traveling all day and it's time to hit the sack.
Any questions or comments are welcomed!
--Mary

Think you can...Think you can't

This is a quote my father always said to me growing up, and still does to this day. It truly hits home if you think about it. Regardless of what you are reaching for, this quote applies.

So I thought if I had to think of a perfect time to blog about support systems and inspiration and self-motivation, it would be on my Daddy's birthday! *cheer* Everyone wish my Dad a Happy Birthday!

Even though I can't be home, I still always want him to know how much I love him and how much he and my mother have both have such an impact on my life.
Anyone who knows me, or has read anything about me, will know I am a self proclaimed daddy's girl. I've always been extremely close to my parents, and I can honestly call them the greatest support system a person could ask for. They are people who not only have taken care of me for the last 22 years, but they are people who have supported me through the good and the bad times. They are people who have put my goals before their own.

They picked up and moved to California when I was 14 years old, simply because I was good at the sport I competed in. That's support.

They watched me travel over seas not once, not twice, but more times than any of us can count with nothing more than a group of girls and a "make sure to call" to keep in touch. That's support.

They have seen injuries that could easily have scared any parent, but instead of panicking, helped me recover and urged me to continue. That's support.

They've even been my shoulder to cry on when the going was hard and I wanted to give up. They told me to continue towards my dreams even though they could see all I wanted to do was stop. That's support.

No matter what, I always had a reminder that things were going to work out as long as I continued to push myself towards the goals that I had set for myself, no matter how high or far away they seemed at times.

I never thought about it that way, but Henry Ford has a point. The quote above is realistic, yet inspiring.

What if all you hear is: it's not possible? 

Here's what you do: You keep working. You learn to thrive on your goals. You learn to surround yourself with people who care and support you in what you choose to do. Nothing is handed to you. Nothing will ever be "easy" it will only be worth it in the end. 

I can't count the amount of times I was told "You can't do that yet" or "That's not your level of ability". Well why not? Why isn't it? What is stopping me from doing exactly what you say I can't? What if I do have the ability to reach higher than someone thinks I can? 

Prove them wrong. 

Never give into negative thoughts from others who say "No, you can't." 

If you have a goal, WORK FOR IT! 

Quality is certainly not just how good something is done. It is the act of continuing to work hard, and work well, when it doesn't count. What does it matter as long as your work is done well when someone is watching you? After all, anyone can go out and bust their bums in the gym once. Anyone can study for 4 hours straight in order to perfect a presentation...but I want to know how many can consistently go to the gym every day in order to gain endurance? How many can study throughout the year and achieve a 4.0 GPA? 

You can. 

I can.

I have.

I will continue. 

Can anyone catch the theme of this blog yet? Haha Twenty Points to whoever can correctly guess! (Honestly, I think the author gives it away...)

Just saying you're going to be an Olympian certainly doesn't make you one.

I've wanted to be an Olympian since I was 5 years old. I remember telling my swim coach that I was going to be on the big stage one day. While at the time, I thought I'd be racing. 

I thought I could be the next Janet Evans. 

The next Natalia Coughlin.

  

The next Anna Kozlova? 

Who knew I would end up in Synchronized Swimming. I didn't. My parents didn't. 

However, I can't say I would change it if I had another chance. I've had so many opportunities, and I've met so many people who have influenced my life (good and bad). 

This last quote has to deal with my team. My team here at Lindenwood. It's the closest team I can say I've had in my career as an athlete. We support each other constantly. So many of our girls are THOUSANDS of miles from home...thousands! A lot of girls do not originally live in America. From Canada, to Venezuela, to many European countries, we have become our own support system...we have become our own motivation. Let's Go Lions!

That's what it's all about right? Goodness this was long. I guess I just had a lot on my mind. Hope y'all enjoyed it! Let me know if there's anything y'all would like to have me talk about, or just let me know what you think!

Until next time! 

--Mary Killman

Perspective

So last week I was (finally) heading back to snowy St. Louis. I was lucky enough to fly on a day when there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Literally. I'm not kidding! We all know that gorgeous day where it's absolutely freezing, after all it was 14 degrees outside for the high, but the sun is shining and the sky is such a color blue that you could imagine fairies dancing in the distance…yeah, that kind.

                                                 

That was taken out of my window on the plane. I know what you're thinking, "There really are fairies dancing!"

Well.

At least I can pretend that's what is going through your heads…

But honestly. This was the view the entire time. For the next hour and a half I never lost sight of the ground and that's what got me thinking…everything is about perspective.

From over 10,000 feet in the air, even an eighteen wheel semi-truck can seem smaller than an ant. However when you stand next to one on the ground it almost seems as if it could house the skeleton of a fully grown T-Rex. (Or a live one…you never know with the science of today. Who KNOWS what they could be doing?!) Flying with the eye of an eagle who hitched a ride on a rocket, really is eye opening if you really think about it.

Next to you sit tens of people who are on their prospective journeys through life to different areas of not only the state, not even the country, but the globe! Some are headed home, some are going to Dubai for a business deal, some are traveling for a grand vacation in Hawaii. There was even a couple on their honeymoon trip to Sweden. (They must've been snow bunnies…Personally I'd rather follow the people to Hawaii!)

On the ground, however, are tens of THOUSANDS of people. Each possibly on the same path as those on the airplane. On their way home, to work, to their vacation home, some may even be on their honeymoon.

The question really is…do we even think of these thinks? Most are only concerned with their lives. Only concerned with their problems If people took a little time out of their day to enjoy the scenery, maybe there would be more happiness in the world. Just maybe, if we each took the time very day (or even every other!) to find a small way to step outside of our personal bubbles and truly see the world around us, we could worry less. We could worry less about where we are going and more on how we're going to get there. We can even be thankful that we are able to enjoy the journey when so many others cannot.

Or maybe I'm making things up in my mind and really all I saw was a pretty view through the glass while in my American Airlines window seat. I guess that's for you to decide.

Until next time! Feel free to drop a comment below and tell me what you would like to hear about! (Otherwise you'll continue to get the rambling of my life…unless you like that sort of thing. J )

--Mary 

Snow Day!

"Isn't that just gorgeous?" -- "It's so pure!" -- "Let's make snow angels!" 

     While most people would completely agree with these statements...I can't say I'm one of them. I'm from Texas you see, and I'm definitely not accustomed to the snow. Make sense that I go to school in Missouri doesn't it?

     Speaking of Missouri...how about that snow storm through the Midwest right now?! It's been said to have the coldest temperatures since the 1990's! I wasn't planning on having another blog post so soon, after all I did say "weekly" or even "biweekly" but this lovely storm has caused me to delay my arrival to Lindenwood by two days! Don't worry, I'll be back in good ol' "St. Chuck" by Tuesday.

     If I had it my way, snow would only exist on Christmas Day, (that's only for those of you who NEED to have a white Christmas...I'm perfectly okay with 65 degree Christmas Days.) and the rest of the year would be between a gorgeous 65 and a balmy 85.  Sounds like paradise right? Sounds a bit like Florida to me. It just doesn't seem fair that Miami gets all the good weather does it? Well, I guess they do have rain storms and hurricanes...no where is perfect I guess!

What do you think about snow and winter time? I'd love to hear what y'all's opinion is of the weather around where you live!

I'd also like to add that I've officially joined LinkedIn. I'm still working on all of the different social media points so I figured I would list here what I already have! As a Student Athlete I do need to think about my future as well as updating everyone with how my life is going. I am studying Business Administration and I always hope to contact (and stay in touch with) anyone who can help me on my journey towards achieving a solid place in the workplace, and in life. :)

My Website: www.marykillman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marykillman
Twitter: www.twitter.com/marykillman
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/marykillman
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mckillman

If anyone has any comments on where else I should be, please let me know! I'm always willing to listen to some advice. :)

Until next time!
--Mary Killman

Welcome Back

Happy New Year Everyone! In light of all the resolutions I'm sure have been made and have started, I've decided to make one of my own. To pick up my blog again! I miss receiving questions and comments from readers who followed my Olympic Journey and I have had quite a few requests to bring it back. So,  Here's to attempting the blog once again. It will be weekly, or maybe biweekly since I am a full time student, but I will do my best! For those of you who kept up with my blog during my journey to and through the Olympic Games, you will see it has been revamped a bit. For those who have never read my blog, welcome! I plan on using this to keep everyone who is interested updated! So I guess I should start from after the Olympic Games right? I'll try to keep it short and sweet. :P

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Closely following the Olympic Games I left Indiana and headed home. My parents were living in Oklahoma at the time, and I couldn't wait to see my family. After a good vacation, I spent a few weeks at home and debated retiring from Synchronized Swimming. (Don't worry, I didn't!) I had reached a goal that few could even dream of, and it was time for college. A few years ago I had mentioned I never wanted to do Synchro in college. I couldn't understand how an athlete could go from the "Olympic Level" to the "Collegiate Level".

I was looking into schools around home such as OU where my father attended college, or maybe even Texas A&M or UT so that I could return to being a Texan. However, I was told to simply think, and consider collegiate synchro. One school in particular stood out: Lindenwood University.

Where is that you ask? Missouri. Probably one of the furthest places from Texas that I could get. Fortunately for me I knew a few of the girls attending the school currently thanks to Synchronized Swimming being a fairly small world. The decision was almost made for me. I knew where I was going to college. Time to pack up and move once again!

After an 8 hour drive in my extremely packed car, I made it. I was in front of the place where I will spend the next 4 years of my life working towards a degree. During my Freshman Year I was not only introduced to an entirely new lifestyle, but an entirely new way of thinking. Not only did I have to balance my classes and my homework, I had to balance a sport as well. Heaven forbid I attempt to have a social life. It was a rough beginning, but luckily for my I learn quickly, and I had an amazing support system in my teammates and my coach.

Lori Eaton is the Head Coach at Lindenwood University, and I couldn't be happier. Last year, I not only made new friends inside and outside of the pool, I fell in love with the sport all over again. Synchronized Swimming is where I can de-stress from the world and simply perform. It's a place where I can use my artistry to choreograph routines and work hard towards something I know will be worth it. Thanks to all of our hard work and dedication, Lindenwood placed 3rd at our Collegiate Championships overall, and I won a National Title in my Solo!

Speaking of National Titles...I earned another a few weeks later at our U.S. Nationals which included not only college teams, but club teams as well. Having been on both sides of the coin now, I understand why the sport is so hard to understand. We spend countless hours rehearsing something that only takes 3 minutes of our life to perform. Yet, it's one of the most important things in our lives. It's amazing.

After my first year at Lindenwood, I continued with my coach Lori and trained in Aruba for the summer in order to compete for the US as a soloist at the University Games in Russia, and the World Championships in Spain. It's amazing how similar the world stage is to my own school. I knew there was a reason I felt right at home on the LU campus. Russia's team here, Japan's team there, Brazil on deck, Switzerland in the water...it's a meeting point for all the countries to meet at one scene. It's the same at school, I can't tell you how many international students I've become the greatest of friends with.

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Well, a small history lesson on how I got to where I am today, I'll be entering into my second semester as a Sophomore at Lindenwood University, and our collegiate season will be in full swing from now until April. Get ready for a crazy ride...I am.
I want to leave this first (of hopefully many) blog post with a video. An Inspiration video that has been out there for some time, but has recently been recovered and has been spread around our team. This is what it means to be an athlete. This is what it means to strive. This is what it means to work.

Leave me a message, a comment or an e-mail and I'll answer any questions you may have at that time!

Also, check out my website: www.marykillman.com
It also has been revamped and updated!

Until next week!