It's not just Dorothy Polatin's in-the-pool prowess that makes this high school freshman worthy of her "rookie of the year" award. Sure, she made a splash on her varsity team by swimming what her coach dubbed "gutsy" races and earning enough points to letter as a first-timer on the team. But talk to Dorothy, who's been swimming seriously since the age of seven, and you'll find that there's more to her athletic success than speed and skill.
"I love swimming because I like a challenge, setting a goal for myself and then making that goal," says the 14-year-old from Natick, Massachusetts. "But I've learned that swimming a good set or making it through a tough practice isn't just about willing myself to go harder or pushing myself to be faster."
Actually, she says, it's her understanding of God, and what she's learned about Him through reading the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, that's helped her to break through limitations and power her way to a win.
