Gold medal swimmer gives clinic and shares advice in Sitka

February 9, 2022

James Poulsen/Sitka Sentinel

Lydia Jacoby spoke to Sitka High School students at the Performing Arts Center on Jan. 28. She was in town to swim in the 2022 Alaska Senior Championship meet, and made time to hold a clinic and share advice.

Tokyo Summer Olympics swim team gold medalist Lydia Jacoby, a 17-year-old Seward High School senior, was in Sitka last month, sharing stories, offering advice - and talking about her goggles.

She also talked of criticism directed at her on social media and mental health.

"During the mixed-medley (relay) my goggles fell off my face and were in my mouth," she said. "I couldn't breathe for the whole race, and that's something that you think once you get to the Olympics you'll kind of be past that, but apparently not."

Despite struggling to breathe or see, Jacoby swam her second-fastest 100-met...

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