Page 57 of In Too Deep

Iwill notslow down.

Iwill notgive in.

Iwillignite the match once more.

Iwillrace from the heart.

My body pushes through the agony.

The wall is within my grasp.

Relief floods my veins as I duck and slam into the tiles.

My body falls to the depths of the pool as my head rises up through the clear blue liquid for the last time of the 100m Fly. I tear off my goggles to get a better look at the scoreboard as the Australian home crowd is screaming out in applause and celebration.

My eyes can’t focus while my body fights against exhaustion.

I rub my eyes and study the board.

Lacy LaBelle 54:03.

I cry in utter shock.

This time, I understand what’s happened. Not only have I hit the wall first, but I’ve also smashed the Olympic record previously held by the USA. My hands throw into the air as I scan the stand and find Coby and the Hughes family jumping and screaming.

I pull off my caps.

Tears run down my face.

I did it…

All my hard work.

Years and years of training…

It all came down to this one moment.

Gold.

I’ve won gold.

I. Fucking. Won. Gold!

Katie rushes to my side, pulling me to her, and I cry into her shoulder as she screams in my ear. “Oh my God, we did it, Lacy. We both did it!” she cheers.

I pull back and furrow my brows.What does she mean?Quickly, I glance at the scoreboard once more to see that Katie came in second to win silver, and Marta came in third for bronze.

“Oh my God, Katie. Gold and silver for Australia. We did it. We actually did it!” I cry, and she bursts into tears as we embrace each other in the water.

Marta grunts behind us, throwing her cap in disgust.

We hug once more and then make our way out of the pool. The liquid swirling around me, washing over my heated skin, giving me a sense of calm in my heightened state of emotion.

The commentator calls us over. “Well done, girls. Gold and silver for Australia. We’re so proud of you.”

We both giggle and I wrap my arm around Katie and smile. “Thanks so much, Grant. It’s so nice… to bring gold… home for Australia in my first Olympics. It’s been a rough road here… but we got there in the end,” I say through staggered breaths, still trying to catch them from my epic swim.

“And you broke the Olympic record, too, Lacy. Well done!”

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