By Maggie Foight Everyone has a bad day, even the best of people. However, what defines someone is not why she had that roadblock, but rather how she reacts to it. Mary Warker, a junior at Wilson, is determined to not let small setbacks throw her off. “I think dedication means always staying on task, never giving up, and working on what you need to. You need to stay with it, even when it doesn’t go your way,” she says. Diving is defined as an aquatic sport that utilizes a diving board, great agility, and strength. Mentally, the sport requires full focus, readiness, and heart. During a rough spot, however, one bad thought may ruin the entire dive.
“During some of my worst meets, I kinda feel upset and sad, and I feel like I’m going nowhere, but I try to turn around quickly. I’d feel discouraged, but I can’t really think about that because I have to keep moving,” Warker continues. Generally speaking, in sports there is never just a rough season or a perfect one: there will be peaks and valleys. Looking back on her best seasons, Warker says, “Normally, I don’t realize I’m doing good until I reflect at the end. When I’m doing good, I try to keep it up by staying positive until the end.” In order to get to where she wants to be, Warker will undoubtedly have to continue to work hard. With practice almost daily and generally one to two competitions weekly, one would think that she would rest at home. On the contrary, Warker says, “I always try to stay one step ahead. At home, I always think about how I can better myself, like when I watch videos of other divers and I think about how I can get my dives to be more like theirs.” If one is dedicated enough and works hard enough to meet her goals, she will go far. As a result of her determination, heart, and dedication, Warker has achieved great accomplishments as an athlete. She won the gold at the District 3-AAA diving championship in February, 2016. Following that, she placed fourth at the States meet a month later in a close run for the third-through-fifth spots. Warker, as seen in these highlighted diving meets and many more, always attempts to finish strong: “Don’t think what you just did is the deciding factor. You can always do something to change the outcome. Always focus on what you need to do: you need to move on.”
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