From Deseret News archives:
Kearns has the edge
Swimmer turns her disability into an advantage
Edge, a junior at Kearns High, was born with significant hearing loss in both ears. But rather than letting her disability affect her in a negative way, she has found a means of using it to her advantage in the world of swimming.
"Sometimes not being able to hear makes things easier," says Edge. "I don't have to deal with distractions and background noise. I can choose who I want to pay attention to."
Natalie has been called an inspiration to her team, but not necessarily because of her willingness to compete in spite of her disability. The quality for which she is most widely known is her speed.
Although only a junior, she has already accomplished more than most high school athletes could only hope to do over the course of a career. She has won an impressive eight state titles, both individually and as part of relays. Last week, in an exhibition meet, her time in the 100 freestyle was a mere one second off the 5A state record.
"It was pretty amazing to see her put up a time like that at this point in the season," says Kearns head coach Chris Horn. "That time would have taken second in the boys' heat."
Keeping up with, or even embarrassing, the boys on the team is just business as usual for Edge, whose work ethic is even more impressive than her lengthy list of accomplishments. Whether as an athlete in the pool or a student in the classroom with a 3.9 GPA, "I quit," is a phrase that simply isn't part of her vocabulary.
"I've coached Natalie since she was 10 years old, and she has always been a hard worker," says Horn. "She pushes herself harder than anyone I have ever worked with."
It's that type of self-discipline, combined with her ultra-competitive nature and God-given talent, that has made Edge an early favorite to win the coveted Swimmer of the Year Award. Natalie, however, couldn't care less.
"That's not something I'm focusing on," she says. "Swimming is a team sport. I'd much rather see our whole team do well than win an award for myself."
After a very successful sophomore year in which she won both the 200 individual medley and the 100 freestyle, Edge would seem like a lock to win both of the events again. The feeling among the Kearns brass, however, is that she is versatile enough to win just about any event and could benefit from a new challenge.
"We're weighing our options right now," says Horn. "She did very well in the events that she swam last year, but she might want to try something new. We'll just have to see."
With a confidence that could be mistaken for cockiness, Natalie sees herself as capable of winning just about any event and looks forward to whatever challenges this season might present.
And with her track record, why wouldn't she?
E-mail: tquinn@desnews.com
