Emily Sykes’ dedication to self, others earns her 2016-2017 Mercury All-Area Honors

FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> The constant grind of the winter months takes its toll on any competitive swimmer.

Out of bed before the sun is up. Back home after the sun sets. Day-long practices. Tapering. Maintaining a steady diet. Keeping in touch with coaches — both at the high school and potentially collegiate level. Not to mention schoolwork.

All of those challenges, while trying to cut mere decimal points off and inch closer to that oh-so-coveted time.

Methacton senior Emily Sykes faced and rose above every one of those challenges — her senior season eventually culminating with the title of The Pottstown Mercury’s 2016-2017 All-Area Girls Swimmer of the Year.

It was a conclusion she may not have predicted, especially during her sophomore season. She got through it all, though, in a way she hadn’t fully anticipated.

“I was miserable my sophomore year,” recalled Sykes. “I honestly still to this day don’t know what it was — maybe a combination of schoolwork and training — but it was such a stressful year. Sometimes to this day, I wish I could go back and tell myself to snap out of it.”

Right after her ‘sophomore slump,’ as she deemed it, Sykes found a much-needed outlet.

She began coaching youth swimmers with the Special Olympics Team for Montgomery County. Still with the team currently, she spends time both in the water and on the decks helping teach the fundamentals of the sport to children with special needs.

“Seeing their excitement,” she said, “it’s kind of made me fall in love with the water again.

“Being with them brings out the fun aspect instead of just work, work, work all the time.”

As part of the program, Sykes splits her time working with swimmers in the developmental and fundamental portion along with others in the competitive stages.

It’s been a once-a-week commitment that has certainly been a two-way street. One that has helped steer her decision to study therapeutic recreation while swimming at the University of Tennessee on a Division I scholarship.

“It’s given me something to look forward to every Tuesday,” said Sykes. “The kids — they’re just so happy to be there and to be learning and having fun. That’s the best part for me.”

Her re-found love of swimming has lifted Sykes to newfound heights the past couple of seasons. Sykes was selected the swimmer of the year right on the heels of Pottsgrove grad Emily Glinecke (now at Arizona State), who won it the previous two seasons after then-freshman Maddie Cooke (Penn State commit) shook up the scene with Phoenixville during the 2013-2014 season.

“It’s an honor to be selected out of all the girls in this league,” said Sykes. “I’ve known and raced against a lot of these girls my entire life — so to be honored in this way is really special.”

In addition, she was named to the All-Pioneer Athletic Conference’s first team in the 200-yard individual-medley and 100-yard breaststroke. For the season, she owned two of the area’s top times — a 2:01.48 in the 200 IM and 1:02.33 in the 100 breast — both set at the PIAA Championships. She also finished among the top three individual times in the 200 free, 100 fly, 500 free to go along with a leg in the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay.

For her career, Sykes finished with eight District One Championship medals (seven individual medals) at the meet held at La Salle University. She also finished with four medals from the season-ending PIAA Championships at Bucknell University, including a bronze and fourth-place medal garnered this past winter.

Her legacy will be hard to etch out of the Methacton record books. Sykes owns the pool and school record for 100 fly (56.51) as well as individual school records for 100 breast (1:02.33), and 200 IM (2:01.48). Collectively, she’s swam a leg in 200 free relay (along with Kirsten Groff, Kristen Wang and Jen Rees; from 2014) and the 400 free relay (with Sarah Lebold, Anna Price and Victoria Zang).

Much to the way Sykes has dedicated herself to the Special Olympics team, first-year head coach Stephanie Saucy was quick to point out the senior’s commitment to her Methacton teammates.

“Emily is a tremendous role model and leader,” said Saucy. “Not only is she fast, which makes people sit up and pay attention, but more than that she is a leader worthy of following. She would often do her own dry land (workouts) at UDAC (Upper Dublin Aquatic Club) in the mornings and then come and participate in Methacton’s as well. She sought out the freshmen early on and would partner with them, helping them feel a part of the team.

“It was not about Emily, it was Methacton she cared about.”

While she certainly picked up on the typical clichés a high school athlete learns — time-management, being a good teammate/leader, etc. — Sykes can certainly take away more from the time she spent away from the Methacton pool.

Although she’s been the one teaching swimming lessons to the youth through the program, perhaps Sykes has actually been the student all along.

“It’s taught me how to be humble … and how to see things for the bigger picture,” said Sykes of working with the Special Olympics. “I think that’s really what it’s all about.”