Struggling to Keep Her Head Above Water : Health Problems Hinder Season of Promise for Hart Swimmer Skyler

This was supposed to be a breakthrough season for Becky Skyler of Hart High.

The senior swimmer reached the Southern Section Division II individual finals in each of the past two years. After taking a rare summer off from swimming, Skyler returned to the pool last fall refreshed.

Gearing up for an important club meet in Long Beach, she was poised to swim her fastest times. That is, until Skyler was forced to take another layoff, this one involuntary.

In late December, Skyler was diagnosed with mononucleosis, keeping her out of the water for two weeks.

The illness and other health problems continue to keep Skyler from working out with her usual intensity, affecting her times.

Nearly two months into the high school season, Skyler has yet to qualify for the Southern Section championships.

“Usually I make my [qualifying] times the first meet or two,” Skyler said. “This is really unusual for me.”

The circumstances make today’s Royal Invitational a critical meet for Skyler, serving as a gauge for her comeback as she attempts to qualify for the section meet in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke.

She will have other chances to qualify, but the Rancho Simi Pool is fast and the competition fierce. The meet includes swimmers from Royal, Crescenta Valley, Saugus and Louisville.

This year, 35 schools and more than 1,300 swimmers will participate in the invitational.

“She’s too experienced not to make it,” Hart Coach Steve Neale said of Skyler. “She has the experience and the toughness to find a way.”

The notion that Skyler would struggle to qualify for the section championships is a surprise, considering she placed second in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly in the 1995 finals and fifth in the 100 butterfly and third in the 200 individual medley in 1996.

But Skyler’s health problems have held her back.

In mid-January, she returned to practice, albeit slowly.

“I was swimming in lane two, in the little kid’s lane,” Skyler said. “I wasn’t sure I’d make it through that first one.”

Weeks later, Skyler became alarmed when she woke up one morning and couldn’t swallow. She thought mononucleosis had returned.

However, her doctor found something else. Skyler had a cyst surgically removed from the roof of her mouth. Although the cyst was benign, her recovery was slowed.

“[Doctors] have no idea where [the cyst] came from,” Skyler said. “It might be related to the mono; it could have been there all along. It’s just another thing that’s gone wrong this year.”

Although most of the cyst was removed, it has a tendency to grow back. Two weeks ago, Skyler again had difficultly swallowing. An oral surgeon recommended surgery last week, but Skyler felt less discomfort and postponed an operation.

Meanwhile, Skyler manages to swim through the pain. Her lymph nodes are still swollen from mononucleosis and she occasionally must skip practice to rest.

Even if she falls short of her goal of winning a section individual championship, the future looks positive. Skyler committed to Oregon State last week and has planned the next several months.

“I’ll keep swimming this summer, but mostly to stay in shape,” she said. “I want to be really strong for college. That’s what I’ve got to shoot for now.”