Catlin never gave in

Steve Virgen

Water is a symbol for rebirth, and for cleansing.

This has been true in Amy Catlin’s life.

She began swimming when she was 8 and showed great promise at age

12, but something happened to her that altered her life. Before, her

challenges were all about beating a time on a stopwatch. But suddenly

she took on tests of will and overcoming a life-threatening illness:

leukemia.

Catlin, a Corona del Mar High junior, seemingly used the water as

a source of strength and refuge from her battles with leukemia and

other ailments. During the past four years, Catlin has continued to

swim despite dealing with chemotherapy, as well as osteoporosis,

tendinitis in her shoulders and a broken arm. Osteoporosis is a

disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break.

“I was just really tired,” Catlin said of her bouts with

chemotherapy. “I think it was more emotionally draining than it was

physically because at that point in my life, 13 and 14 years old,

kids are thinking about going out and having fun. I kind of missed

out on that. That was really emotionally draining. Swimming really

helped that. I still could see people and I could participate to a

certain degree.”

Catlin is now in her fourth year of remission. In December, she

will be considered cured in regard to the leukemia. This spring she

is enjoying herself while making contributions for the highly

regarded swim team at Corona del Mar. She swims the backstroke, but

Sea King Coach Doug Volding has been trying in her other events to

see if she can add more depth to the squad.

Just to be in the water and to be as healthy as she has been since

she was 12 is rather remarkable.

Quitting swimming would have been so easy. But Catlin didn’t want

any of that, despite all the hardships.

In the summer of 1999, she dreamed of becoming a swimmer in

college. But in November, only nightmares clouded her visions. She

had been experiencing shoulder problems for over a month and went to

her doctor for a routine physical.

Results from her blood test showed she had leukemia. Chemotherapy

-- radiation treatments that could help beat leukemia -- whittled

Catlin’s strength. But she continued to swim. Four years ago, after

her first round of chemotherapy, Catlin went back into the pool.

“It felt like I was swimming in gel,” she said.

Catlin continued to swim because she loved the sport and also she

still kept hope that she could fulfill the potential she had built

when she was 12. She also maintained her dream of swimming in

college.

But, in December of 2000, Catlin was besieged with another

setback. She was diagnosed with osteoporosis in her hips and spine.

She was planning to go on a trip to San Diego with her friends from

her swim team in February of 2001 but she had to undergo physical

therapy and missed the trip.

“She was really disappointed,” Catlin’s mother, Tina, said. “It

was awful ... She started club swimming at age 8. She started to do

really well in the 11-12 age bracket. Then after that she got sick.

It was hard on her because all her friends were still swimming. She

had to swim at a very low level. That was the most depressing thing

for her. She kept with it. All of her coaches have been great. They

really encouraged her. They were really supportive.”

Catlin started high school at Sage Hill School in September of

2001. She was still receiving chemotherapy, along with spinal taps

and steroids. She would feel strong two weeks out of every four,

gaining energy and feeling more like herself when she would come to

the end of a round of treatment.

The inconsistency in her health and athletic ability frustrated

Catlin and the loss of her hair stripped a great deal of her pride.

She was also disappointed when she would think of what might have

been. When she was 12 she was excited to fulfill her potential.

“She was a Junior Olympic-level swimmer, one of the top 20 in

Southern California in her age group,” said her club coach Brian

Pajer of the Irvine Aquazots. “She has been through so much. It’s

hard as a coach to know what that is like. It’s one of those things

where you try to help them as much as you can. She had some

incredible challenges. She pulled through great. She’s a much

stronger person because of it.”

When Catlin would confront difficult times, she would think about

the success she had at a young age. That would sometimes bring her

down, yet at times motivate her.

“When I see what my teammates have done, I think that I could have

been there,” she said. “But you still have to stay positive. Maybe

I’ll be better this way. I just have to keep on trying and catch up.”

Last year, Catlin transferred to Corona del Mar. Just before the

swim season began she broke her arm. But she still trained, while

wearing a waterproof cast.

“I never knew all what she had been through, because she never

complained,” said Corona del Mar girls swim coach Doug Volding.

Catlin competed in two meets last year and did not quit the

season. She was awarded Most Inspirational at the team banquet.

This year, Catlin is looking forward to inspiring her teammates

once again. She hopes she can remain healthy and just have fun. She

has become mature over the past four years.

“I should be considered lucky,” Catlin said. “It just depends from

what perspective you look at it. There were other kids in the

hospital, and their parents would say, ‘Oh, you have leukemia, that

is really good because that is really curable.’ There were kids who

had stuff that was rare and it was hard to go through that. It just

depends what perspective you have.”