Chapter 1
I'm getting ready. All I see ahead of me is the clear, smooth water, And the silence is surrounding me. I load my hips for my takeoff. BOOM! The gun sounds and I push off as hard as I can into the water. Right arm, left arm. Kick, kick, kick. I tell myself to go harder. I tell myself I will not be beaten. I glance over my shoulder and see my opponent not more than a step behind me. That's when I feel it. That's when I feel lithe adrenaline trust that pushes me over the edge to the finish and seals my national championship. In this very moment, walking down the long hall to the locker room, I, Emily Fields, could not be happier.