A season for tears of joy, not of pain

Tuesday, January 27, 1998

A season for tears of joy, not of pain

SWIMMING After last year’s surgery, Jenkins looks for a banner
year

By Steve Kim

Daily Bruin Contributor

UCLA senior swimmer Jill Jenkins has a certain reputation around
the pool. She carries, along with the talent and pride of being a
three-time All-American athlete, a rather laid-back attitude; maybe
too laid-back.

Jenkins says it best herself. "I’m not the serious type. I’m not
too intense at practice. I’m usually the one that’s laughing or
cracking jokes. I think I help the team in that aspect. At least I
hope I do."

"Help?" Head Coach Cyndi Gallagher laughs when asked about
Jenkins.

"Jill is a big team leader and she gets the team going. When
she’s up, she’s great, but when she’s down … It can work or not
work to her advantage. But she can definitely make it work to her
advantage."

"There’s a few people I yell constantly. She’s one of them.
Definitely one of them. But she knows I can be all at her to do
something, and she’ll do it. She doesn’t pout or hold grudges, so
we have a pretty good relationship."

That’s right. Jill Jenkins is the unofficial cheerleader, clown
and spirit of the women’s swimming team. Her personality is
vibrant, and if one’s not on guard, she’ll make you laugh along
with her in a flash.

She justifies her quirkiness by saying, "I’m a person who likes
to have a lot of fun and I bring some of that to the pool. A lot of
the times during the season, people get really intense. I dance
around on the blocks and do stuff like that to lighten things
up."

Sure, she likes to goof around, but she’s not all fun and games.
Jenkins takes her swimming seriously.

Although she identifies herself as a backstroker, she also
competes sprint freestyle and butterfly. And she does them
well.

"She’s very, very, very (with emphasis on ‘very’) versatile,"
says Gallagher. Every year, our question isn’t whether she’ll make
it to the NCAA’s, but which event she’s going to score highest
there. She could probably be one of our best IMers, but we never
put her in that.

"She’s extremely talented. You know, it’s probably the worst
thing to be a talented swimmer. But she’s learned how to be not
just a talented swimmer but an intelligent one who works hard to
reach her potential."

So, what stroke is her favorite stroke? "Whatever I’m good at!"
exclaims Jenkins.

"It’s pretty much what Cyndi needs me to score points at. So I
have to concentrate on three strokes every time I practice. I love
breaststroke because it’s most fun, but I’m not good at it!"

It’s hard to believe Jenkins still possesses such talent and
skill when all of it could have disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Early last year, on a rainy day, Jenkins slipped and fell down a
flight of stairs which left her with fractures in four different
places of her back. It was her junior year and she was out of the
water for two months, right in the midst of the swimming season.
She missed competing at the Pac-10s, but she was able to enter the
NCAA championships.

Jenkins came back with a bang. She recorded her lifetime best in
the 50-freestyle with the time of 22.94.

Looking back at all the drama that’s happened to her in a few
months time, Jenkins feels she has learned a lot.

"I learned how to fall gracefully. Instead of thinking, ‘It’s
over with, I’m never going to swim fast,’ I think of how I can swim
fast again despite the hardship. It’s taken a lot, with my back
surgery and all, for me to realize how important swimming is to me
and how thankful I am to God for my talent."

With her injury behind her, Jenkins realizes the seriousness of
swimming well, as her last season as a Bruin approaches its end.
She doesn’t joke around when it comes to swimming. Right now, it is
her top priority.

"I’m just trying to focus my interests in the pool, trying to
make it to every workout and give it my all," says Jenkins.

Coach Gallagher seconds Jenkins’ determination. She said, "She’s
really been focused this year. She had a hard season last year,
breaking her back, but I think that put a little more fire into her
this year. She wants everything to come together, and I think it
will."

To Jenkins, swimming is not all about herself either. Her team
is very important, and she’s thankful for what team experience has
given her.

"I can’t name all the benefits of swimming. It’s given me so
many opportunities as far as meeting people and how I interact with
them. I’m not that eloquent, but it’s helped me to get past that.
It’s helped me realize the importance of teamwork, the importance
of getting somewhere and giving it your all every single time you
practice, and the discipline that comes along with it."

Jenkins remembers being a team-oriented person as a freshman.
She recalls, "There were like 10 of us, attached at the hip. We did
everything together. We were just mimics of each other."

Also, she remembers how the seniors made her do a lot of chores,
such as retrieving their bags and taking silly orders.

"We got so much crap from the seniors when I was a freshman.
This year, I think we’re really easy on the freshmen. I feel guilty
when I make them do all the dirty work."

In retrospect, Jenkins agrees she gained a valuable experience
swimming at UCLA.

"I love being here. It’s priceless. I love UCLA. I love being a
Bruin. The athletic department, I think, is wonderful.

"I love Cyndi. She’s the best coach of my life. I love the way
she supports people and everything about her is awesome. Umm …
maybe except for all the yardage she gives us!"

There’s that quirkiness again. One thing for sure, Jenkins will
be a consistent happy-factory. She is notorious for going overboard
with her humor, but her coach doesn’t seem to mind.

Gallagher says, "Jill takes a lot of abuse from us. But she’s
fun to coach because she’s got a great personality. She’s funny and
everyone likes her."