Cheering for Bakersfield Swimmer, Stanzi Moseley

Stanzi in the lead!

    Al and I were excited when we found out that our seventeen-year old great- niece from Bakersfield would be swimming in the Fina Junior World Championships in Singapore. Stanzi has been preparing for this time in her life since she began to swim competitively as a young child. She has been very dedicated to a rigorous regimen of weight training, nutrition and workouts twice a day. With five other swimmers in the family, the Moseleys have kept up a grueling schedule of meets over the years.

    When the Nationals came up in San Antonio, Texas last month, Stanzi wasn’t feeling well and her times weren’t quite up to par. It came down to one race, the 100 meter free, to determine whether or not she’d be going on to Singapore. Al and I were able to watch her on the computer, along with family and friends.

    My sister who is Stanzi’s grandma, and I prayed for her, touching the computer screen as she raced up and back the length of the 50 meter pool. She did well and qualified for the finals. Jan and I did the same thing during the finals in the 100 meter free, praying for her and pushing her along with our fingers. A text came in from my sister a few minutes afterwards. It was a fast time, fast enough to qualify her for the meet in Singapore. Thank you, Lord!

     Just a few weeks later, Stanzi was in Asia with the team from the United States, where 686 “junior” swimmers (age 18 and under) from 88 nations gathered for the big event!

Because of the fifteen hour time difference, we had to get up in the middle of the night several times during the week of the Fina championship to be sure to catch her when she was called to swim. When we found the site where the live webcast was being shown, we sat glued to the screen so as not to miss her.

    Our daughter, Shanda was also watching from Michigan, where the sun was just beginning to come up. We weren’t disappointed. Stanzi did very well swimming the 100 meter freestyle on three relays in the finals as well taking 8^th place in her individual event. It was very exciting—hard to get to sleep after that, but well worth getting up at 3:00 a.m.

     Her goal is the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The competition will be against many former Olympians, most of them much older and more experienced with the intense pressure. However, many fans will be watching and rooting for her either at the poolside or on the computer screen. We are all so proud of Stanzi’s accomplishment and her hard work. And yes, we will continue to cheer her on to victory. Go Stanzi!

Stanzi (on left end) and team receive bronze medal

    Stanzi’s fan club reminds me of the “great cloud of witnesses” surrounding believers in Jesus Christ which is described in chapter 11 of the New Testament book of Hebrews.  The list includes Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses among many others. Watching our race? Cheering us on? Now that’s a new concept!  Because of this we are encouraged to persevere in our faith and finish “the race” well. Go, go, go!

    “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2