Resilience, information, and Grace Bodrock’s lasting mark on BGSU swimming  – BG Falcon Media

When senior BGSU swimmer Grace Bodrock steps onto the pool deck, everybody is aware of it. Her voice is unmistakable; she is energetic, loud, and units the tone for her group together with her radiant confidence. 

In the pool, the identical commonplace holds. She provides every part she has, and her presence has turn into one of many heartbeats of Bowling Green swimming. This 12 months, in her ultimate season, she’s swimming the perfect races of her life. 

A Journey That Almost Didn’t Happen 

Bodrock didn’t develop up dreaming of collegiate swimming. In truth, she solely joined the YMCA group at age 5 as a result of she was too afraid of her trainer after “aging up” out of swim classes. 

“I was too scared to ever say no,” Bodrock mentioned. “I kind of just always swam.” 

By the time she reached highschool, she started to take it extra significantly. 

“I was moving up to the high school group with a bunch of girls that were really fast,” Bodrock mentioned. “I started taking it seriously and realized I could probably swim in college.” 

During her time at Normandy High School in Parma, Ohio, Bodrock was a four-year letter winner and the 2022 Great Lakes Conference MVP, and was dominant in races. However, her recruiting course of was slowed as a result of an harm. 

“Junior year is a really big year for recruiting, and I wasn’t swimming because I was injured,” Bodrock mentioned. 

With curiosity from faculty packages slowing, she didn’t count on a lot to come back her means. Then, an assistant from Bowling Green reached out, however Bodrock wasn’t fairly offered. 

After some convincing from her highschool coach, a former Falcon from when BGSU nonetheless had a males’s group, she determined to lean into the chance and go on a go to. She was instantly impressed by the amenities, campus, and the competitiveness of the MAC (Mid-American Conference). Still, one factor stood out greater than the rest. 

“I was really impressed with the girls on the team. They were just really nice and outgoing, and made me feel included on the trip,” Bodrock mentioned. “I think that’s what ultimately led me to come here.” 

A Leader Who Sets the Standard 

Head coach Tanner Barton is at the moment in his second 12 months at BGSU, and in that point, Bodrock has turn into one of many group’s most impactful performers. Her senior season has been the strongest of her profession, marked by disciplined coaching, constant drops in time, and a confidence that reveals each time she dives into the water. 

“I knew that she would be a contributor,” Barton mentioned. “What I always knew about Grace is that she loved to race. And, as a coach, you want people on your team who love to race and will get after it no matter how they’re feeling or what’s going on.” 

Though her impression might be seen in her time, her impression reaches far past her personal race, as Bodrock has turn into a cornerstone of Bowling Green’s tradition, main with each her voice and her work ethic. In follow, she assaults difficult coaching units and units a tempo that youthful swimmers attempt to match, exhibiting them the usual. 

“She leads by example,” Barton mentioned. “When it comes to a training set, she will do what the training set is asking her and will make sure she’s executing it to the best of her ability so others, especially the underclassmen, will do the same.” 

Outside the lane traces, she is without doubt one of the most vocal and energetic presences on the deck. Everyone is all the time in a position to hear Grace, and her spark and power carry this system and contribute extremely to the tradition and atmosphere. 

“Grace has a very loud personality, and I say that in a good way because she gets people excited, she gets people energized,” Barton mentioned. “She loves to race, so she makes other people want to race.” 

With her voice, effort, and presence, Bodrock has turn into one of many heartbeat leaders of this system. In each means, each vocally and by setting an instance, she units the tone for what Bowling Green swimming goals to be. 

Resilience Through Heartbreak 

At the beginning of her junior 12 months, Bodrock confronted one thing no athlete, pupil, or particular person is ever ready for: her father handed away. The impression touched each nook of her life, from teachers to the pool. 

“Last year was really difficult for me,” Bodrock mentioned. “I’m doing better mentally and moving past those types of things.” 

The loss introduced immense challenges, each out and in of the pool. Bodrock admitted she struggled with confidence and self-doubt. 

“I struggled a lot, like, believing in myself, and believing that I’m capable of doing crazy sets or performing really well,” Bodrock mentioned. “It was hard for me to have the confidence that I could do those things, even though I’ve already done them. It’s like, oh well, I just got lucky.” 

Adding to the stress was the expectation she set for herself to succeed. “For a while, that standard was set where I needed to win all the time,” Bodrock mentioned. “It wasn’t healthy.” 

Coach Barton recalled how sudden the loss was and every part that got here with it. 

“Seeing her grow through that is something that shouldn’t be overlooked because when life throws you this unexpected event, right at the beginning of your junior year, and you have a brand-new coach, it’s extremely tough,” Barton mentioned. “She’s not only been able to pick up the pieces and move forward, but this year, now that it’s been a year of grieving and processing, she’s on fire.” 

Through the grief and self-doubt, Bodrock discovered to belief herself, embrace constructive self-talk, and develop a mindset that extends past swimming. 

“I think my confidence is the biggest change. I’m a lot more confident in myself and not just in swimming, but as a person,” Bodrock mentioned. “I can handle hard things… I know that I can push through so much, so it makes everything that I’m dealing with now seem so much smaller.” 

The confidence is clear in her swimming. She’s competing higher than ever, dominating her occasions and setting a brand new commonplace for herself and her teammates. She approaches each follow and meets with focus and dedication, proving that development and resilience typically come from the toughest experiences. 

Chasing Excellence 

Entering her senior 12 months, Bodrock has a couple of objectives she is specializing in. One of which is to complete in all three of her occasions on the MAC Championship: 200 Fly, 100 Fly, and 200 IM. 

“I have finaled in all of them, but not all at the same meet,” Bodrock mentioned. “I would really like to do all three.” 

Coach Barton additionally spoke of his expectations of Bodrock on the MAC Championship. 

“I see her contributing at the MAC Championship. Her 200 Butterfly at Cleveland was phenomenal. She won a best time, and she hadn’t touched that time in a little bit… I think those times will be very competitive at the conference championship,” Barton mentioned. “I really do think that she has some events that will score some points and make an impact on the team standings.” 

Her different main aim is to interrupt the two:00.00 barrier within the 200 Fly, a aim that she’s been chasing, which might additionally break the Bowling Green college file, at the moment held by Jordan Bullock with a time of two:00.01. 

“I really want to try to go under two minutes,” Bodrock mentioned. “It would be the school record, but I mostly want to do it to go under two minutes.” 

For the group, Bodrock additionally shared related hopes for the MAC Championship. 

“I think we’ve just set our goal at trying to score more points than we did last year at the MAC Championships,” Bodrock mentioned. “It’s just about coming in and doing better and being better and shocking people.” 

Another aim Bodrock has is thrashing the group up the highway on I-75: Toledo. 

“You know, our rivals. We’ve been close the past two years, but have not won, and we haven’t beaten them while I’ve been here,” Bodrock mentioned. “This year, it’s gonna happen. I know we can do it.” 

A Lasting Mark 

Reflecting on her time at Bowling Green, Bodrock hopes to depart extra than simply quick instances and wins behind. She needs her teammates to recollect her as a constructive power, the type of upperclassman who evokes and uplifts these round her. 

“I really hope that I can be that kind of upperclassman that people talk about till their seniors,” Bodrock mentioned. “When I was a freshman, some upperclassmen really left a mark on me, so I really hope that I can be that swimmer that they bring up and that they miss.” 

Bodrock needs her legacy to increase past encouragement to hold ahead the teachings she’s discovered about exhausting work and self-belief. 

“I hope that I leave them with the idea that hard work pays off and training hard is worth it,” Bodrock mentioned. “I hope they have that mindset of believing in themselves and knowing that they’re capable of so much more than any limit they put on themselves.” 

Looking again on her personal journey, Bodrock additionally has recommendation for her freshman self, which she hopes youthful teammates can take to coronary heart as effectively. 

“Buckle up. You’re gonna go through a lot of changes, and get used to it,” Bodrock mentioned. “Just sit back and enjoy it, and stop stressing about every little thing. I barely remember my worst races. All I remember is hanging out with my friends and the good ones.” 

Through her management, power, and perspective, Bodrock has helped form the tradition at Bowling Green. She has left an imprint not solely as a competitor however as a teammate and mentor whose presence, positivity, and philosophy of exhausting work will proceed to resonate lengthy after she leaves the pool.