Springbank High School student Merissa Redwood, 16, has been an elite athlete since she was eight.
Hailing from Redwood Meadows, the teen has put in thousands of hours in pursuit of her dream to reach the Olympics as a synchronized swimmer.
Early on, Redwoodís coaches were impressed with her natural ability, regularly pushing her to do her best. Redwood responded well.
ìThey told me I was naturally good at the sport and if I really worked hard, I could make it,î she said. ìThat was really exciting.î
Redwoodís love of the water was apparent from early childhood on.
Her mother Betty recalls her daughterís insistence on being timed while holding her breath underwater in the bath. Redwood was just three years old at the time.
At the age of eight, Redwood joined the Calgary Aquabelles, training with the elite synchro club for up to 22 hours a week.
Workouts were tough and included dry-land, strength, flexibility, choreography and pool training.
Redwoodís precise controlled movements along with her tremendous core strength rocketed her forward in the sport. As a national-level athlete, she placed third in the figure competition and second in a duet performance at Westerns three years ago.
The good news just kept coming for Redwood, who was accepted into the National Sports School in Grade 9. She was well on her way to an Olympic dream. But Merissaís future came into question during a routine workout at the beginning of her Grade 9 year.
ìWe were doing a land workout and we were trying to learn to do back walkovers,î she said. ìWhen something just went.î
The workout caused a disk in her spine to bulge, an injury which left her barely able to walk. Swimming became unbearably painful and a barrage of physiotherapy appointments did nothing to heal the athlete. In fact, it took several months for medical personnel to figure out what was wrong.
Unfortunately, there was little that could be done for Redwood and she reluctantly took a year off swimming and dropped out of the National Sports School after struggling through debilitating pain.
ìAlthough the coach was accommodating... the injury was so severe, it got to the point where it was not worth it,î said Betty. ìIt was hard to say goodbye to it, it was really emotional. It was a huge loss for the whole family.î
It was a tough period, said Betty. Her daughter was depressed with the seeming loss of her career and in chronic pain.
ìI had no idea what I wanted to do anymore,î said Redwood.
But the tides were turned again for the young athlete.
After months of rest, she was able to get back into the water - albeit at a less-stringent training level.
Redwood joined the Killarney Synchronized Swim Club in Grade 10 and has been in the water ever since. She now trains about 12 hours a week.
Redwood came back strong and was invited to join her former teammates, the Aquabelles, to compete in her first international competition at the U.S. Open, which features athletes from all over the world in July 2011.
It was very exciting for Redwood, who describes the experience as ìintense.î
Redwood was able to learn all the routines in the six-week period leading up to the competition by practicing seven days a week.
More than halfway through her second season back, Redwood has struggled with back pain, being out of the water more than she has been in. However, the teen remains optimistic and recently returned from a championship, which took place in Sacramento from Feb. 29 to March 4.
Competing against national team members, Redwood achieved a ranking of 25th out of 138 athletes in the figures competition. However, Redwood was forced to drop out of the solo competition as her back injury had flared up.
ìShe was really upset and it was hard to see her that upset and not be able to do what she wanted,î said Betty. ìI just think she is very determined, she has a good heart and is very competitive, if she wasnít she would have quit three years ago when she was (first) hurt.î
Redwood said her love of the sport has kept her motivated to continue despite the setbacks and she has no plans to stop. In fact, the teenís next competition will be Western Divisional Championships in Winnipeg from March 29 to April 1.
ìThere were a few times where I thought ëI am done, I canít do this anymore,íî she said. ìBut I canít even picture life without it.î
