Sequel: Swimmers Story ›
My 3 Dedications And Me
The Cat Is Out The Proverbial Bag
She walked out to lane 2 with the other girls and went through her routine, she got ready and before she knew it the buzzer went. She let the younger girl go out and watched 2 girls try to go with her but by the 100m they'd both dropped back massively. She checked on the turn to see girls in front of her and she felt her body was okay, she started to move and kept her breathing right.
Her turn came right and she pushed away to see she was further up than before, the British girl was still moving well and Dolly felt her muscles tiring. She gritted her teeth quickening and felt her muscles burn as she could feel from the water she'd gained. Part of her wanted the wall to come now to end the race the other part wanted to be miles away so she had time to make a gap between them.
She pushed again and saw the wall, she threw her body into the race and her last few strokes before her hand slammed lazily into the wall. She looked around to see she'd won in another world record time (2:01.81) and she leant against the ropes to get her breath back.
As she climbed out she saw the woman who'd seemed to grab her everytime motion to her and she groaned. "That looked close" "It was tighter than I'd wanted it to be I'll tell you that much" she answered and tried to get through the interview quickly.
As she hit the back area and started to warm down she ignored everyone, as she climbed out the pool and finished off Michael walked towards her smiling and she glared at him. "Don't talk to me!" she snapped walking past him to a bounding Ryan Lochte.
"You are fucking brilliant!" he shouted grabbing her and she felt pain push up her arm. "Fuck!" "What's up?" he asked looking worried, "My fingers!" "Your fingers? What about them?" Ryan quizzed looking at them and then moving them and she grimaced "Okay somebody hit that wall wrong didn't they, I thought it looked like you'd hit it wrong. You need to see a doctor now!" Ryan ordered dragging her off behind him.
The doctor checked her fingers and taped them up as Ryan sat with her and she smiled at him "Thanks" he shook his head "It's cool" "No really, I mean since I got here things have been a bit all over, this is new to me and well it's obvious certain people don't like me but you've helped out. I mean I don't think I'd have been as calm as I've been if you'd not been here and what you said before I went out there today really helped in the race" she offered and he nodded.
"Yeah well, I'm brilliant and you've learnt that now! No I'm joking! Anytime, now you can't swim with them fingers like that" "Erm yes I can Ryan! I have a relay to swim in and I am not missing out" she growled at him and he laughed.
She got away from the doctor and practically sprinted to her medal ceremony, she stood on the podium as she felt tears in her eyes and it wasn't for what she'd done or the pain in her fingers, she was pissed off beyond belief with Michael. How could he just fuck off like that when she needed him most?
She saw Ian Thorpe and she was pretty sure they kept sending him out because they knew she'd go to him and part of her didn't care, she was on TV talking to Ian Thorpe, the guy she'd idolized her whole life almost!
"That was one tough looking race" he said and she nodded "Yeah it really was, I went in to the race not knowing how the girl would swim. Being younger and everything, I noticed her going fast and had to make a decision alone! 200 fly is a difficult race for me, I never know whether to go all out at the start and hope I hold them or wait and time it until the end, but making that decision on your own is a hard one" she answered.
"Surely now though you are unstoppable? 3 golds and 3 world records, surely now you're a dead cert for any race you get in?" "No way! Each race is a new thing and I'd never say that! We all work towards each race and you can never underestimate someone, I'm pretty sure I was underestimated in these races and look where it's got me" she replied and he nodded.
"People counted me out because I'd got nowhere, nobody had ever heard of Dorothy Phoenix but that doesn't mean I've never done anything before, I've never taken anybody for granted or underestimated anyone in a race for my whole life in swimming. My dad taught me that as my coach when I was younger and it never did me any damage back then, in fact I'm pretty sure my dad taught me a lot of things that my coach takes for granted now" she reasoned and he laughed.
"Your dad was your coach?" "Yes, when I was younger. Well up until I quit swimming just before London 2012" she smiled at him hiding her fingers in her pockets. "Quit swimming? You used to swim?" "Yes, I swam up until before the last games and then I took it back up" she said. "So are you a superstitious swimmer?" he questioned and she shook her head "Not really, I check my goggles, earplugs etc but I have 3 main superstitions. I don't cut my hair until after a meet and I don't date whilst I'm in training, up until recently that was it but I have one more superstition now" she explained.
"Which is?" "Well someone gave me a good luck kiss on the cheek before my 100 fly and I won it so I've stuck to that and it's been working I guess" she laughed. "You said you wear earplugs, is it to block out noise to help concentrate?" he stated and she shook her head. "No I have a problem called Tinnitus, basically I hear ringing in my ears and it's related to hearing damage. So loud noises can cause further damage and make the noise louder, so I wear ear plugs to protect my hearing. Also with it I've found I get water, well it feels trapped, in my ears a lot more since I've had it so I wear them for that as well. I've had it since I was a kid so I've learnt how to live with it now" she admitted and he nodded.
"So any dedication before you go?" she shook her head "This one right here is for me! I've worked hard for this and it's all for me! Selfish I know but it's mine, however I would like to say thank you to the friends I've made here" she smiled, he thanked her "Dorothy!" he called as she turned to leave and she looked back around. "You mentioned you used to swim and you quit, I was thinking the other day that your dad looked familiar and his name and your name sounded familiar. Basically, are you related to Dolly Phoenix?" he asked and she smiled "I am Dolly Phoenix, Dolly was my nickname and I used to hate it! But yeah that's me, you know it's pretty freaking epic that you remember that kid and my dad! But yeah she is me!" she grinned before walking off and she waved to her parents in the crowd and saw Michael sat next to his mother.
Her turn came right and she pushed away to see she was further up than before, the British girl was still moving well and Dolly felt her muscles tiring. She gritted her teeth quickening and felt her muscles burn as she could feel from the water she'd gained. Part of her wanted the wall to come now to end the race the other part wanted to be miles away so she had time to make a gap between them.
She pushed again and saw the wall, she threw her body into the race and her last few strokes before her hand slammed lazily into the wall. She looked around to see she'd won in another world record time (2:01.81) and she leant against the ropes to get her breath back.
As she climbed out she saw the woman who'd seemed to grab her everytime motion to her and she groaned. "That looked close" "It was tighter than I'd wanted it to be I'll tell you that much" she answered and tried to get through the interview quickly.
As she hit the back area and started to warm down she ignored everyone, as she climbed out the pool and finished off Michael walked towards her smiling and she glared at him. "Don't talk to me!" she snapped walking past him to a bounding Ryan Lochte.
"You are fucking brilliant!" he shouted grabbing her and she felt pain push up her arm. "Fuck!" "What's up?" he asked looking worried, "My fingers!" "Your fingers? What about them?" Ryan quizzed looking at them and then moving them and she grimaced "Okay somebody hit that wall wrong didn't they, I thought it looked like you'd hit it wrong. You need to see a doctor now!" Ryan ordered dragging her off behind him.
The doctor checked her fingers and taped them up as Ryan sat with her and she smiled at him "Thanks" he shook his head "It's cool" "No really, I mean since I got here things have been a bit all over, this is new to me and well it's obvious certain people don't like me but you've helped out. I mean I don't think I'd have been as calm as I've been if you'd not been here and what you said before I went out there today really helped in the race" she offered and he nodded.
"Yeah well, I'm brilliant and you've learnt that now! No I'm joking! Anytime, now you can't swim with them fingers like that" "Erm yes I can Ryan! I have a relay to swim in and I am not missing out" she growled at him and he laughed.
She got away from the doctor and practically sprinted to her medal ceremony, she stood on the podium as she felt tears in her eyes and it wasn't for what she'd done or the pain in her fingers, she was pissed off beyond belief with Michael. How could he just fuck off like that when she needed him most?
She saw Ian Thorpe and she was pretty sure they kept sending him out because they knew she'd go to him and part of her didn't care, she was on TV talking to Ian Thorpe, the guy she'd idolized her whole life almost!
"That was one tough looking race" he said and she nodded "Yeah it really was, I went in to the race not knowing how the girl would swim. Being younger and everything, I noticed her going fast and had to make a decision alone! 200 fly is a difficult race for me, I never know whether to go all out at the start and hope I hold them or wait and time it until the end, but making that decision on your own is a hard one" she answered.
"Surely now though you are unstoppable? 3 golds and 3 world records, surely now you're a dead cert for any race you get in?" "No way! Each race is a new thing and I'd never say that! We all work towards each race and you can never underestimate someone, I'm pretty sure I was underestimated in these races and look where it's got me" she replied and he nodded.
"People counted me out because I'd got nowhere, nobody had ever heard of Dorothy Phoenix but that doesn't mean I've never done anything before, I've never taken anybody for granted or underestimated anyone in a race for my whole life in swimming. My dad taught me that as my coach when I was younger and it never did me any damage back then, in fact I'm pretty sure my dad taught me a lot of things that my coach takes for granted now" she reasoned and he laughed.
"Your dad was your coach?" "Yes, when I was younger. Well up until I quit swimming just before London 2012" she smiled at him hiding her fingers in her pockets. "Quit swimming? You used to swim?" "Yes, I swam up until before the last games and then I took it back up" she said. "So are you a superstitious swimmer?" he questioned and she shook her head "Not really, I check my goggles, earplugs etc but I have 3 main superstitions. I don't cut my hair until after a meet and I don't date whilst I'm in training, up until recently that was it but I have one more superstition now" she explained.
"Which is?" "Well someone gave me a good luck kiss on the cheek before my 100 fly and I won it so I've stuck to that and it's been working I guess" she laughed. "You said you wear earplugs, is it to block out noise to help concentrate?" he stated and she shook her head. "No I have a problem called Tinnitus, basically I hear ringing in my ears and it's related to hearing damage. So loud noises can cause further damage and make the noise louder, so I wear ear plugs to protect my hearing. Also with it I've found I get water, well it feels trapped, in my ears a lot more since I've had it so I wear them for that as well. I've had it since I was a kid so I've learnt how to live with it now" she admitted and he nodded.
"So any dedication before you go?" she shook her head "This one right here is for me! I've worked hard for this and it's all for me! Selfish I know but it's mine, however I would like to say thank you to the friends I've made here" she smiled, he thanked her "Dorothy!" he called as she turned to leave and she looked back around. "You mentioned you used to swim and you quit, I was thinking the other day that your dad looked familiar and his name and your name sounded familiar. Basically, are you related to Dolly Phoenix?" he asked and she smiled "I am Dolly Phoenix, Dolly was my nickname and I used to hate it! But yeah that's me, you know it's pretty freaking epic that you remember that kid and my dad! But yeah she is me!" she grinned before walking off and she waved to her parents in the crowd and saw Michael sat next to his mother.