Swimmer’s Sacrifice For The Olympics

Swimmer’s Sacrifice For The Olympics, Keri-Anne Payne has faced triumphs and disappointments, recalls her mom, Pat. Champion open water swimmer Keri-Anne Payne won silver at the 2008 Beijing Games, but things could have been very different after a disappointing finish in the 2006 Commonwealth Games left her questioning her future.

Payne wanted to walk away from the sport when the Commonwealth Games yielded no medal. Having always been determined to succeed and having pushed herself to the limits, fourth place wasn’t enough for the swimmer. It was some time before she felt ready to dive back into her training for the 2008 Beijing Games.

Click for more photos of Keri-Anne Payne”After coming fourth in the Commonwealth Games, she was very disappointed in herself,” remembers her mom, Pat. “We thought it was wonderful — but she didn’t. “As her mum, I just had to sit by and be a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk to and help her get back into her training and back into the competitive side.”

Pat Payne looks overwhelmed as she walks through Hyde Park, imagining her daughter arriving in August for her 2012 London Games: “It’s a very iconic place, this Hyde Park. It’s hard to even concentrate on it sometimes. Knowing what she’s gone through, how hard she’s worked, it’s nerve wracking for the whole family really.”