sarahweiler
(Sarah, left, with best friend Rachel)

Hello,

I would like to nominate Sarah Weiler as a "Jumper." Unlike many other athletes, Sarah took a huge jump that few if any would dare to undertake. She grew up with an older brother who was a true athlete. He could play and excel at any athletic endeavor. He lettered in four varsity sports in high school, and won the U.S. Army Outstanding Athletes award.

At the end of her sophomore year, Sarah had taken a swimming class. She was not advanced and had never had a swim clinic or competed competitively in her life. But she decided to join the swim team. Not any swim team, the Skyline Eagles Swim Team, you know, those 5A women's champions? So on her own she went to the pool at Steiner and started "swimming" in the lanes. At first it was more walking with arms moving and lots of bobbing. But after the summer, she tried out for the team. Her coach said, "It is not about being in the pool, and if she never swims in a meet, that is not the goal."

Sarah swam in meets. Sarah was the slowest and she cried silently into her goggles. But she never gave up. She will never be the one with the fastest time. She will never be the star. No, Sarah is the one signing to the deaf students who like Sarah are jumpers into the Skyline Eagle swim program. She is the one being there for the student with Down Syndrome after the events at school saying hi and making sure she knows what is going on. Her best friend is the elite swimmer. And Sarah is not jealous, no she just jumps in the pool and keeps kicking and pulling her way down the lane.

So for that reason I, her mother, thought she deserves to be recognized as a Jumper. I truly think she has taken a leap of faith, as her brother said, "Iit took more guts then I ever had." I knew I could do it, but Sarah, man she knows she may not be able to do it. Plus she goes to the pool at 6 AM!"

Thank you,
Heather Weiler