From the water, Marena’s watching the clock…

By Lara Pickford-Gordon

snrwriter.camsel@catholictt.org

In the world of competitive sports, fractions of a second determine placement on the medal podium and records are achieved or broken. For swimmer Marena Martinez, whose aspiration is to reach the highest levels of the sport, winning isn’t just about touching the wall ahead of a competitor—it’s about beating the clock.

“I would come first and then I’ll be, ‘No, that’s not what I want. I want a time’…So, you would come first and win, but it’s not about winning—it’s about the time. You come first and you didn’t make the time to go Olympics. You come first and you didn’t make the time to go Worlds [World Aquatic Championships]. Let’s say you come fourth, and you have the time to go Worlds,” she said in an interview with The Catholic News.

Marena added that university scouts also focus on times, as these determine  qualification for major international events such as the World Championships, Olympics, and Pan American Games.

At just 14 years old, Martinez has been swimming competitively since she was a primary school student at Sacred Heart Girls’ RC. She looked up to her older brother, Anthony, who was the swimmer in the family. Her drive to make him proud led her to work hard and earn a spot on the national swimming team in 2022 when she was only 11.

Her current goals include making it to the Pan American Games and World Aquatics Championships. She said: “To be out there—that is what is considered a professional swimmer. To beat many countries, not just the people in your home country. To be a professional swimmer, you have to beat everyone, the world itself.” Marena sees Nikoli Blackman as a role model and a professional elite swimmer. She aspires to reach a similar level.

It’s been a strong year so far for the 14-year-old Holy Name Convent (HNC), Port of Spain student. She was the top female in the 11-and-over category after winning the 200m, 400m, 600m, and 1500m freestyle, as well as the 200m and 400m individual medley (IM) events at the Aquatics Sports Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT) National Open Long Course at the National Aquatic Centre, May 19-22.

On May 4, Marena competed in the ASATT Subway Maracas Open Water Classic at Maracas Bay. Her fourth-place overall finish highlighted her talent—she was ahead of many male participants and was the first female to finish, clocking in a time of 1:25:16.

Her record-breaking swim at the ASATT National Age Group Long Course Championships, held February 19-23, earned her a spot on the national team for the Carifta Aquatics Championships, April 19-23. She won the Girls 13-14 1500m freestyle, completing 30 laps in 18:52.50, shaving seconds off the previous record of 18:54.83.

Marena said Carifta was the highlight of the meets for the year, because of regional participation. “That event itself is where I won my first ever gold. I won two golds this year in open water and in the [Carifta] 400 IM, which was one of the best races for me.”

The sacrifices necessary

Getting results requires discipline and constant training. Marena is a member of the Marlins Swim Club and follows a rigorous  schedule—Monday to Wednesday 5 – 6.30 a.m. (swimming); Monday to Friday 4 – 6 p.m. (swimming); Tuesday and Thursday 5 – 6.30 a.m. (gym) and Saturday 6 – 8 a.m. (swimming). She also has academic lessons on Saturday.

Her timetable is busy but gives order to her swim life. Marena said: “I am surrounded by people—my friends, my mom and dad are there to help me with anything. And if I get frustrated, I just bring out all my frustration into the water.”

She also acknowledged a psychological component to an athlete’s success. She disclosed that she is still grappling with this aspect of competitive life and getting “a little nervous before an event.”

The results from races are not always satisfying. Marena said: “I did good but that’s not what I wanted. I have a time, and I am to improve on my time…and I start to panic, and I had a little attack but then I had to calm myself down. But if I do that all the time, I won’t succeed in any of my events so, I realise all I need to do is train harder and work harder and harder each time.”

Marena is working on the mental resilience needed because, without it, performance can suffer.

Faith and community

Marena strives to keep grounded in her Catholic faith through daily morning and evening prayers. As an altar server at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, she said, “it feels I am closer to God than other people. So, no matter what, I still keep to my faith with anything.”

She also visits the chapel at HNC every morning to pray a decade of the rosary. As a member of the Cathedral parish, she serves at the Anthony Pantin Centre for Peace Chapel in her Beetham Gardens community. Mass is held every Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by refreshments for the children. “The children love to altar serve. On Saturdays they sit, watch, and listen and learn,” she said.

Marena and a male altar server from her community guide the children, “and they are excited to come and do it!” She added: “Just to see them smile and more people coming into the Catholic faith, it’s a good thing to see especially for children.” The children of the area prepare for First Communion and Confirmation at the chapel.

Though there are negative perceptions of Beetham, Marena does not let these define her community. “There are good people; they do good things.” She added that a community should not be judged because of the actions of some.

“If I come out of a community and I say I went Beetham, I don’t want to hear ‘that Ghetto place’…You shouldn’t bring down somebody like that because it will also bring down the children. And they don’t want to hear that.”