Swimmer relies on Christ to push her through hours of practice and multiple surgeries for a chance to become an Olympian.
Reporter: Chad Harcourt
Tera Bradham, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas, attempted to qualify the USA Olympic Swimming Team. Bradham traveled to the Omaha Swim meet as her final attempt to go to the qualifying rounds. It was her first speed race in a year and a half since surgery to repair her right shoulder, now fitted with anchors to hold the muscle and shoulder together. She finished the race at 2:20:17 .68 of a second shy of what she needed to be able to qualify.
“It’s a gut wrenching feeling when you look up and see you missed it by a few tenths of a second” says Tera.
She didn’t qualify for the race and shortly after found out worse news, her shoulder injury was back and worse than ever.
She went to her doctor only to find out she would need surgery again. She went under the knife and doctors said it was an excellent surgery the healing process will be less time, she will be stronger, and will have perfect mobility.
Bradham has had time to look back and see what she has accomplished and where she wants to go with her career. Bradham says her strength is found through Christ and he has given her the ability to push through the pain, injuries and time commitments the sport demands.
On a weekly basis Bradham puts in over 30 hours of work into swimming and says it is not done on her own volition. She red shirted and still has four years of eligibility to swim for the university. These next four years will determine much of her future in swimming as she hopes to end her career in the 2016 Rio Olympics.