Sometimes a swimmer’s greatest strength is in endurance. When mere milliseconds can change the outcome of a race forever, endurance, more than speed or power, provides the strength to win races. Endurance is facing the mountain of odds and getting past them. In swimming, endurance is grueling laps, empty Gatorade bottles, stomach cramps, arm and leg fatigue and foggy goggles. It is wanting to give up on the last lap, but finding the perseverance and the capacity to move on and finish.

The Lawrence Aquahawks know this endurance firsthand. In the midst of school, life and other activities, the Aquahawks are at the pool practicing six days a week for two hours a day, year round. On Saturday, top Aquahawks swimmers got the chance to exhibit their endurance at the All-Stars Meet at the Lawrence Aquatic Center. The Aquahawks faced teams from Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri in the 14 and under meet.

The Aquahawks were excited that they got a chance to represent Lawrence on their team, the Missouri Valley All-Stars, in their own pool.

“It’s really great because it is right here in Lawrence,” said Aquahawk Canaan Campbell, who swam in the 200 freestyle and 50 freestyle. “I’m only 9, so it’s great to get a chance to compete with the best swimmers in the 14 and under races.”

Canaan Campbell competes in the 200-yard freestyle.

Other Lawrence swimmers looked to the meet as being an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of their small team with some heady competition.

“It feels good to swim here, we’re a small team but we’re really strong,” said Reilly Moore, who swam in the 100 breaststroke and 50 butterfly. “We are like a family.”

Heather Clark, who at 14 years old is a veteran of the Aquahawks with nine years of competition for the team, said she enjoys meeting new people from the different All-Stars teams. Clark, who competed in the 200 backstroke and the 100 butterfly, also used swimming as a way to keep in good form and good shape when she played basketball in the past.

“We swim a lot to keep in shape, it helps us build muscle and play better in other sports,” said Reese Grabill, who swam the backstroke in the 200 medley relay, the 100 individual backstroke and 100 freestyle.

The swimmers also practice good eating habits to keep up their endurance in races. Emma Reaney, who swam the breaststroke in the medley relay, the 200 individual breaststroke and 100 butterfly Saturday, said the team eats and drinks special food and beverages to stay strong.

“We eat well before each race,” Reaney said. “We eat lots of Power Bars and Chex Mix and bagels and fruit. We also drink lots of Gatorade, Powerade and water.”

The swimmers use these special items as fuel in their race for the win, and racing at the All-Stars meet is a special privilege only few have a chance at. Only the top five swimmers in each event from each team are chosen to compete at the meet. Along with Lawrence, the Missouri Valley team alone is comprised of talented swimmers from the likes of Kansas City and Topeka, so swimmers must surpass many of their own teammates for a chance to swim at the All-Stars meet.

However, this is a special challenge the Aquahawks are used to. Every year, members find the endurance to compete in meets across the country. They go to a meet in Kentucky every summer, and this weekend the team will find themselves on an 11-hour bus ride to compete in Texas.

Amidst the challenges of a smaller team and the pressures of the real world outside of the pool, the Aquahawks still endure. They practice for hours on end, logging hundreds of miles, to compete in a race that can be decided in mere seconds, but the Aquahawks still show up for practice after practice and meet after meet, because that is what true endurance is all about.