Lyn takes on the Atkinson marker
Published:Wednesday | June 21, 2023 | 1:08 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
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NATIONAL SWIMMER Sabrina Lyn believes there is an opportunity for her and other young swimmers to take the sport forward for Jamaica in the same way that Olympian Alia Atkinson did. Lyn is in Jamaica preparing for a busy second half of 2023, which...
NATIONAL SWIMMER Sabrina Lyn believes there is an opportunity for her and other young swimmers to take the sport forward for Jamaica in the same way that Olympian Alia Atkinson did.
Lyn is in Jamaica preparing for a busy second half of 2023, which includes the CCCAN Swimming and Open Water Championships in El Salvador in August as well as the Swimming World Championships next month in Fukuoka, Japan.
The swimmer graduated from Bolles School in Jacksonville last month and is preparing to take the next step in her swimming journey when she attends Louisiana State University (LSU) in the fall.
With the young talent preparing to take the next step in their own journeys, Lyn said she feels that the standard that Olympian and Short Course World Champion Alia Atkinson set is a marker that serves as inspiration.
“I feel like with Alia gone, we are able to look up to her and see where she has gone and how to surpass it and/or meet where she has gone. I don’t feel like she has necessarily left a void, but a finish line or a starting point for us to get to,” Lyn told The Gleaner yesterday after practice at the National Aquatic Centre.
What she hopes is to continue her improvement and evolution as a swimmer, believing that LSU provides the perfect launchpad, with a familiar Caribbean feel. According to Lyn, there is a feeling of home at LSU, especially with coach, Olympian Leah Martindale Stancil of Barbados, taking the reins of her career.
“She knows how certain things go when it comes to Caribbean experiences. One of their coaches has already coached Olympian Janelle Atkinson, who came fourth in the Olympics. They just have a lot of peaks for student-athletes. They help with academics and make sure you keep up to date with your classes,” Lyn said.
What she has gained during the time away was an appreciation for the fundamentals, which she says had made her a better swimmer.
“The experience overseas has made me focus on the little details of swimming. Most of the season is in a yard pool so that makes you have to focus on your turns and on your dives. It has made me focus and improve on those little details instead of just getting faster,” Lyn said.
Now having a great appreciation of being back home and training in familiar environs, Lyn says that she is keen to continue her own growth as well as challenge herself on the international stage.