Q&A with Jamestown HS swimmer Ainsley McMahan
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. —聽A Q&A with Ainsley McMahan who is a swimmer at Jamestown High School and is currently in her senior year.
Name: Ainsley McMahan
Age: 17
Sport: Swim
Years in current sport: Five years as a year-round swimmer; quit year-round in the winter season to focus on school
Teams: Williamsburg Aquatic Club, Seven Mile Swimmers
School: Jamestown
Grade/Year:聽 12th
What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams?
Ainsley McMahan: My personal goals for swim were always changing with how I was doing in the sport. With swimming, I felt even though I was racing against others, that the only person that I needed to beat was myself. I would push myself in practice to go faster and encourage my other teammates to do the same as well. While we were all competing against each other, my teammates always had each others鈥� best interests at heart, and I could always rely on them to lean against after a tough race.
What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?
McMahan: The biggest challenge for me was getting back into the swing of things after the COVID lockdown. I had my previous coach Darren Mew, an Olympic finalist, say one day out of the pool means two days of practice to get back into shape. After three months out of the pool, it was a challenge.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
McMahan: I think the best advice I was given during my swim career was that you are only racing yourself to get a better time, and I got this advice from Coach Chris Hanks.
What do you love about your sport?
McMahan: Honestly, I don’t know when my love for swim started. Before I was a year-round swimmer, I swam on my neighborhood swim team for a good while, and, even before I could walk, I was in the water splashing around.
Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?
McMahan: A pregame ritual I always follow is to put my goggles on, envision the race I am about to swim, and think of the time I want to go. After that, I jump two times before stepping on the block. I don’t know why. I have just done that every time I have raced.
What else do you like to do in addition to swimming?
McMahan: Since I recently quit year-round swimming, I find myself being able to get out and help people more. Swimming is a big commitment and takes up a lot of time, so now that I have a lot of free time, I go to Williamsburg House of Mercy and volunteer on weekends. I really enjoy doing this, because I feel as if I have impacted my community, and feel more interconnected with people.
What has being a member of a team taught you?
McMahan: Being a member of a team has taught me to look after your friends like family. If you are spending so much time dedicated to one thing, you get to know each other very well, and even though I quit swim, I am still invited to the group activities they go on.
Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.
McMahan: Honestly, I have missed events before, which is embarrassing, but it happens to everyone. The meets run so quick, and you lose track of an event. It can happen easily. What I do to prevent this now is write all my events on my hand, as well as keep track of how fast the meet is going. If the meet is big enough, they will have an estimated start time for an event, and that鈥檚 a good indicator if they are running behind or ahead of schedule.
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