Q&A with Jamestown HS swimmer Isabel Kantor
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. —聽A Q&A with Isabel Kantor who is a swimmer at Jamestown High School.
Name: Isabel Kantor
础驳别:听17
Sport: Swimming
Years in current sport:聽12 years
Teams: Greensprings Gators (13 summers by 2023), Jamestown High School (4 years by Senior year), 757Swim (7 years), Coast Guard Blue Dolphins (1 year)
School:聽聽Jamestown High School
Grade/Year:聽12th Grade/Senior
What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams?
Isabel Kantor: My personal goal with swimming is to always do my best and to finish strong, especially now that I am a senior on Jamestown High School鈥檚 Swim Team. Another goal of mine is to have fun and stay healthy. Although I stopped year-round swim a year ago, I continue to enjoy the health benefits and the camaraderie with my teammates on my high school and summer swim teams.
What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?
Kantor: My biggest challenge with swimming is managing my nerves. Whenever I swim, I get worried about my performance and doing well.聽 To manage this, I listen to music. This helps me calm down and get 鈥渋n the zone.鈥�
What was the best advice you were ever given?
Kantor: The best advice I have received is to speak up for myself. As someone who is quiet, I am often told by my parents that I should advocate for myself and be heard.
What do you love about your sport?
Kantor: My favorite part about swimming is being on a team with my friends and traveling to away meets. I have really enjoyed overnight meets such as States for year-round swim and high school swim.聽 Although swimming can be seen as an individual competition rather than a team sport such as soccer, swimmers support each other fully and have intense team spirit. It鈥檚 a great feeling knowing that your teammates are waiting on the other end of the pool, yelling for you to win and encouraging you to work your hardest.
Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?
Kantor: Before I swim, I usually listen to music. Once I get behind the block, I stretch and calm my nerves. As I wait, I like to imagine how my race will go and what I need to do to reach my personal best.
What do you like to do outside of your sport?
Kantor: I have been a drummer for the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps since the age of 11. I enjoy performing for visiting guests and participating in CW鈥檚 signature events, such as their 4th of July celebration and Grand Illumination. Currently, I am a leading drum instructor for the Junior Corps and new drum recruits. I find it rewarding sharing my musical knowledge as well as the many traditions of the program. Additionally, I enjoy making art in my free time. I love to paint, draw, and create various forms of art as a way to relax.
What has being a member of a team taught you?
Kantor: Being a member on a team has taught me to be supportive of others and to be happy for their successes. In swimming, team spirit is essential to foster positive relationships and motivate people to do their best.
What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?
Kantor: The best advice I was given from a coach was from my 757Swim coach, Morgan Cordle. Her advice was to allow myself only two minutes to be upset whenever I felt bad about my race. After that point, she said that I needed to move on and leave the negativity behind, so I could refocus on my next event.
Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.
Kantor: A mistake I made was when I did not pay much attention to a shoulder injury. I hurt my shoulders as a result of my hypermobility and the repetitive motion of swimming. I did not pay enough attention to my body, and as a result, I prolonged the pain in my shoulders. I overcame this by going to physical therapy and taking a break from swimming. This allowed me to heal and later return to swim.
Anything else you鈥檇 like to add?
Kantor: I would like to thank Coach Jenna Heuser for being my summer swim coach since I was 6 years old.聽 She has seen me grow over the years and has been a constant support in my swim journey.聽 One of my favorite memories is taking our annual photo at the VPSU Champs meet with her and my brother.
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