“Water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient.
Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember, you are half water.
If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”
— Margaret Atwood
I’ve had the privilege of seeing some of the world’s greatest swimmers in action — Michael Phelps at the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Janet Evans, Dara Torres, and even Ian Thorpe, the legendary “Australian torpedo.”
And then there’s Rachel, from the Neighborhood Network.
I’m not kidding — Rachel can swim. I mean, she can really swim. You should see her glide across the pool like a steady current — water within water. Her movements are fluid and confident, her momentum effortless. In recent years, Rachel has won multiple events and state championships in Special Olympics competitions.
“When I’m in the water, I feel free,” Rachel says. “I don’t even know exactly when I learned to swim — it feels like I always knew how. Water is my element… my home.”
Rachel grew up in Gardner, Kansas, surrounded by a loving family and a close-knit community. Joining the Neighborhood Network was as natural to her as stepping into the pool.
“I knew the program, I had friends here, and it made perfect sense,” she shares. “It’s been fantastic.”
Since joining GoodLife five years ago, Rachel has become one of the most beloved members of the Neighborhood Network. She’s always on the move — participating in community events, supporting her neighbors, and spreading her radiant smile wherever she goes.
“I’m pretty social, so I absolutely love it,” she says. “I have so many great friends here — Matt, Amanda, Austin, my bestie James, and many more. We’re a team. Just like in swimming. It might look like you’re alone in the pool, but swimming is a team sport.”
Training and competing take effort, but Rachel embraces the challenge.
“Sure, it’s hard work — but I love it,” she says. “I know what I gain while my body pays the price — focus, strength, stamina… basically, character. My family and friends are proud of me, and that keeps me going.”
Her favorite stroke? Backstroke.
“I stretch on the surface of the water and just… flow. It feels so good. I don’t really try to beat anyone else — I just focus on myself. And when the heat is over, I hug my opponents. We’re all friends.”
They say our bodies are about 75% water at birth, and that percentage decreases as we age. But with Rachel, it feels like the opposite — as if the older she gets, the more she becomes one with the water.
Water is the most unstoppable force in nature. It moves past obstacles not through brute force, but through persistence, patience, and quiet strength.
Just like Rachel.
