VYPE: How did it feel to make the All-State swim team your senior year?
Natalie Selman: Making All-State my senior year left me feeling really proud of myself and feeling accomplished since this has been a goal I have been looking forward to for a while now. I would see the upperclassmen that were two years ahead that had the chance to make All-State. I would look up to them thinking that, in two years, I may have a chance to accomplish that same achievement. Which left me with another goal to work towards and having that extra drive to push even more during every workout. I did in and out of the water.
VYPE: What preparation or training measures did you take in order to be successful?
NS: Some preparations I did to be able to accomplish this goal would be not only by doing the workouts that was given but doing the extra workouts on my own time. Also having the endless support and push from my coaches and parents to not let me give up during those hard sets and setbacks was helpful.
VYPE: What do you plan to focus on after high school?
NS: My plans for after high school include going to swim at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri for four years while on the pre-dental track and then going to dental school.
VYPE: What has your sport taught you that you use in your daily life?
NS: My sport has taught many things that I use within my day-to-day life such as having self-discipline to have your priorities set into place to be able to achieve those goals. Work ethic: to be able to push yourself past those limits you never thought was possible. Swimming allows you to have a certain drive and passion for your sport that you carry with you that you use throughout every day on many things besides just swimming.
VYPE: Why are you passionate about your sport?
NS: I’m very passionate about my sport not only because it’s something I have always loved to do throughout my life but because it’s something that allows me to push myself and be able to constantly set those goals that allows you strive to keep getting better, day in and day out. It’s a never-ending opportunity to better yourself in so many different opportunities.
VYPE: Who inspires you and why?
NS: The person that inspires me the most would be my mom because she never gives up no matter how big or small that obstacle may be. She will always make sure to not only get through it but to become a better person at the end of it. She has always made sure I push myself to be my best every time I get in the water, even if in the moment I may not mentally think I could perform at my best. She makes sure I think positive about the opportunity that I must be able to be a better swimmer than I was before. I have always looked up to her in my swimming and will continue to do so in college.
VYPE: What has been your favorite memory in your sport?
NS: My favorite memory in swimming would probably be last season when we won our first state title. When hearing that Shawnee had won, the feeling I felt in that moment is something that can’t ever be explained. It was such an amazing feeling when looking at my teammates and realizing how much our hard work truly paid off and being able to achieve this goal with them.
VYPE: What is the best advice anyone has given you?
NS: The best advice that I have ever been given would be after one of my races, one of my coach’s Bob McNeil told me “not to only look at negatives that was in your race, but to look at the positives that came out of it.” I feel like I have carried this advice with me ever since because I used to only be focused on what I could have done or what had gone wrong. This is good to do to a point but in the overall picture, you should be looking at the positives that came out of the race. Even when your race feels like the worst swim ever, if you look hard enough, there is always one good thing that has happened as well.
VYPE: Here is your chance to give a shout out or say anything to anyone you wish!
NS: I just want to say thank you to my coaches, parents, family, friends, and teammates because I truly couldn’t be where I am today without each one of them. Especially for my parents and coaches: they never let me give up and taught me to always go into things with a positive outlook, to become a better version of myself every day. I truly couldn’t thank them enough.
