Chicago swimmer Rebeca Martinez qualifies for Junior Nationals and Speedo Sectionals

Rebeca Martinez, 17, swimming state qualifier who holds multiple state records and has qualified for the Junior National Meet, the Speedo Sectional Meet and State Championships.

During Junior Nationals, Martinez set a new team record in the 200 backstroke placing 53^rd. The 800 freestyle relay team of Martinez, Marysol Arce, Nikol Lagodzinska and Charlotte Rosenberg swam the first Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club (CWAC) relay at Junior Nationals finishing 41^st and setting a new team record. Martinez cut 2.5 seconds off her team record in the 400 individual medley finishing 54^th. The 400 freestyle relay team of Lagodzinska, Martinez, Natalie Tapia and Rosenberg finished 17th to mark the highest ever finish in team history and break the team record by more than 3 seconds.

Martinez is a senior at St. Ignatius College Prep where she holds multiple swimming records. For the 2012 season, she established five new records in the 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay.

Martinez grew up in Brighton Park, a Southwest Side Chicago neighborhood. She has been swimming for 12 years. She started swimming at Kelly High School with the Chicago Park District (CPD) when she was 5. Later at 9, she swam for the CPD Swim Club until she was 14. When Martinez began high school in 2010 at St. Ignatius, she joined CWAC, competing for them when she's not swimming for high school.

Martinez said swimming plays a big part in her life.

“After a stressful day at school, I look forward to swimming because I can calm down and it relaxes me and it makes me feel good,” Martinez said.

Martinez said her biggest accomplishment as an athlete was qualifying for the Junior National Meet, the Speedo Sectional Meet and State Championships. Martinez said she was surprised she qualified for those meets because she began the long course season late after playing water polo at St. Ignatius.

“Especially at State last year, I wasn’t expecting that at all but it was a big drop so I was just really happy about that, especially because it’s harder than ISI meets,” Martinez said.

Martinez said she still gets nervous during competitions and she mentally prepares each time.

“I think about the strokes, touching the wall and pushing off and after I’m done, looking up at the scoreboard and seeing the times,” Martinez said.