The Pacific Ocean is about as docile as it gets here, gently slapping up on the inviting shoreline through the shallows of Waikiki Beach.
But it’s still the Pacific Ocean – huge and sometimes intimidating. The big time.
Brooke Kniffin knows all about this, about trying to find her way from little ‘ol Durango to the Division I University of Hawaii. And, too, navigating the Pacific.
At least she does now – after, among other things, experiencing the mostly tranquil waters just off the south shore of Oahu.
“I used to be pretty scared of the ocean,” Kniffin said.
The former Durango High School swimmer could be forgiven if she happened to be a little scared of this whole experience – going to school thousands of miles away, in the big city of Honolulu, and walking on in an effort to make the UH swim team.
But like she overcame her fear of the ocean, Kniffin has overcome some fairly hefty odds at Hawaii. Not only did she make the UH swim team as a freshman walk-on, she recently contributed to the Rainbow Wahine’s victory in the conference meet – the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships – at Monterey Park, Calif.
“It’s been quite the experience,” said the 2014 DHS grad and former Demon backstroker. “I wanted to take the next step, but I didn’t think I could swim for a Division I school. I was looking at other schools, too. But they (UH) said I would have the opportunity to walk on – it ended up that they had lost a lot of backstrokers. So I kept making goals: Maybe I’ll make the team, and I did; maybe I’ll make the traveling team, and I did. I showed up every day, stayed real motivated and got to score points for the team.”
Kniffin finished 13th in the 200 backstroke and 14th in the 100 backstroke at the conference meet. Her time of 56.9 seconds in the 100 backstroke was three seconds better than when she started at UH – just a few months ago – and her time of 2:04 in the 200 backstroke was an improvement of a whopping 11 seconds, she said.
“At home I never did intense weight training. I’ve gained a lot of muscle,” Kniffin said of her vast, almost-overnight improvement. “Some of it is the coaching style, and a lot of the drills. And they fixed my stroke a little bit.
“At first it was way too hard. I wanted to quit. I would wake up at 5 in the morning and swim for two hours and do the same at night. But it was worth sticking it out. I think I have a lot of room for improvement – this is just the start of me getting faster.”
Kniffin played golf and swam at DHS, qualifying for the state tournament in golf as a senior and finishing fifth in the 100 backstroke at the state swimming meet, also as a senior, she said. Kniffin also set two school swimming records at DHS – in the 100 backstroke and 200 medley relay, she said, after joining the high school swim team her junior year. She credits DHS coaches Kirk Rawles and Suzanne Schieltz for the success she’s seeing at college.
“Kirk has really been a mentor for me throughout high school and they have both taught me many things,” she said.
While her season is over, she continues to train, although the main focus has changed from swimming to school, where she’s yet to declare a major. Still, she’s already thinking ahead to next season.
“I want to make the top eight at conference and score more points for the team,” she said of her goals for next season. “And to get faster and stay up on my school work.”
She said she’s also been offered a scholarship to continue swimming for UH.
“It’s hard to believe. In high school, people don’t think they’ll get anywhere from a small school,” Kniffin said. “But I think everyone should follow their dreams. I never thought I’d get here and I’m here.
“Don’t put a limit on anything, especially the fact that we are from such a small town. I took a chance and now I’m a part of an amazing Division I program, but more importantly, a team.”
Besides the recent conference meet, Kniffin counts swimming in the Pacific among her highlights her freshman year.
“We (the UH swimmers) get to swim in the ocean sometimes. I never swam competitively in the ocean before,” she said. “There’s a mile swim each year, and I did it.
“I’m more comfortable with the ocean now.”
bpeterson@durangoherald.com
