Two years ago, junior Emma Atkinson began her journey at Virginia Tech. Little did she know, her 'yes' to the university would result in breaking multiple records and qualifying for the Olympic Trials.
On the first day against Ohio State this season, Atkinson swam 1:54.67 in the 200 back. She also broke 1:50 in the 200 back finals at the NCAA Championship in the spring with a time of 1:49.86, setting a new school record and earning All-America honors – all leading up to this season.
On day three at the U.S. Open, Atkinson finished with a time of 1:01.64 in the 100 back, qualifying for Olympic Trials. And, during Day 4 of prelims, she swam 2:11.00 in the 200 back, giving her not only one, but two Olympic Trials cuts this season.
Making the Cut
After gaining speed and recognition quickly as a high school swimmer, Atkinson wondered what teammates and coaches would expect when she came to Virginia Tech.
"I didn't know what to expect when I came to college," Atkinson said. "I didn't know if I could continue having time drops in events all the time. I didn't know what the team expected me to do or the coaches. I didn't know what to expect of myself."
This season, a series of unexpected difficulties preceded Atkinson's Olympic Trial-qualifying performance.
At the beginning of the season, Atkinson was unable to compete in the first two meets due to a pulled hip flexor and quad – and physical restraints were not the only obstacle. Atkinson felt overwhelmed with the idea of swimming long-course at the U.S. Open.
After high school, she transitioned to short-course swimming and after a while, hesitated to swim long-course. But after taking time to recuperate physically and prepare for the big meet, Atkinson felt at peace before competing and ultimately performed well.
She also expressed excitement about her teammates' performances, as Caroline Bentz, AJ Pouch and Forest Webb also made Olympic Trials cuts.
"It was exciting to see us all go these fast times in-season when we really didn't taper off," Atkinson said. "Because in swimming, when you go to a meet and you're trying to get qualifying times, generally, you go down in yardage, but we stayed with the same training that we've been doing. So, it was like a test, and I was really happy with it."
More Than a Swimmer
Whether it's long-course swimming, overcoming an injury or releasing fears about being a collegiate athlete, Atkinson likes to break barriers physically and mentally, so it's no surprise that she's also passionate about mental health.
Over the years, Atkinson has learned to celebrate accomplishments in and out of the pool. And, that means realizing that there is more to her than being an athlete.
At a certain point, Atkinson realized that she needed to take time to care for herself and after an isolated high school experience, she realized that she should talk about what she was feeling. Despite breaking multiple records and being part of a team, she struggled to feel like she belonged.
But after taking time to reflect and practice self-care, she began to find interests outside of swimming and found friends that accept her regardless of how she places at meets.
"You're an individual outside of your sport and you accomplish a lot outside your sport," Atkinson said. "As a friend, a daughter, a girlfriend and a student, you accomplish a lot more outside of your sport than you realize, and I think women also need to recognize that."
Looking Ahead
After recovering from her injury and continuing to grow this season, Atkinson wants to remain healthy and see her times improve. Specifically, she plans to break the ACC record in the 200 back this year.
And she's not the only one with goals. The whole team aims to be in the top four in the ACC Championships and top 15 in the nation for NCAAs.
After two years of not being able to bond as a team due to COVID-19, Atkinson feels a sense of togetherness within the team. Even though practices are early, there's a positivity that seeps through and an excitement that overwhelms the pool during meets.
Atkinson is hopeful about the team's future, especially with the freshmen that are holding their own in relays.
"It's exciting to see young new faces be a part of these record-breaking relays that we're going to have at the end of the season and I know I'm going to be on a couple of them," Atkinson said. "It's exciting to see those names from the past in the history of Virginia Tech swim & dive getting taken off and new relays and faces being part of that."
For a team that continues to progress and an individual that is honest about her shortcomings and confident in her abilities, anything is possible.
Writing HERstory Campaign
Coinciding with Women's History Month in March and the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Virginia Tech Athletics launched a multi-platform brand campaign celebrating the incredible achievements of its female student-athletes, both past and present, while inspiring the next generation of women who aspire to achieve their dreams through athletics. In partnership with Truist, Tech will share stories of its past and current female student-athletes over the course of the calendar year. Ranging from podcast interviews to feature stories and more, the incredible moments and achievements by women over the years in Virginia Tech Athletics will be celebrated.
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Support Emma Atkinson and her teammates by making a pledge per event win for Swimming & Diving.