CLOVIS, Calif. — Calexico High School sophomore Julia Garcia won two Paralympic events in May, becoming Imperial Valley's first first-place medalist at the CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships.
Garcia, who swam at the Clovis Olympic Swim Complex on the campus of Clovis West High School, became the Valley's first Paralympic athlete at the CIF State Championships, winning the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle races.
Garcia competed in numerous competitions throughout Mexico and in the United States, and although he was competing in his first CIF state championship, he was not overwhelmed by the moment.
“I was a little nervous at first, but I trained hard and once I got in the pool, I focused on the other side,” Garcia said. Garcia qualified for the 2023 CIF-San Diego Section finals and won both CLF-SDS events. this year.
“I was very happy to win the race because I felt proud to have won my first CIF state first place medal.”
Calexico swimming head coach Adan Diaz said Garcia trained hard before the CIF State Championships and CIF-SDS Championships to perfect his flip kick, an important skill, and competed in the 100-meter free. It is said that when he won in form, he made a good turn.
“In Clovis, Julia only competed in two para freestyle events, which are the only events held by the CIF state for para athletes at this time,” Diaz said. “But when she competes for the Calexico team, she swims the 200-meter IM (individual medley), where she does all strokes including freestyle, backstroke, cheststroke and butterfly.”
Diaz welcomed Garcia to the Bulldog swim team last year, along with other swimmers.
“She was the first para swimmer I ever coached and she just showed up to tryouts last year and we added her to the team,” Diaz said. “I was comfortable adding someone with a disability to the team because she swam with her blind sister when she started swimming as a child. .”
Diaz added that Garcia has always received support from his Bulldog teammates.
“She is our only para swimmer and our team treats her as just another swimmer and she only practices in the pool with them,” Diaz said.
The fact that Garcia is the Valley's first CIF state champion means that he is an outstanding student-athlete and that Calexico High School, which had no program for years, brought back a swim team in 2017 and opened a new aquatics facility. It is a fusion of
“When I was 6 years old, I started swimming in the pool with my grandmother. She gave me lessons and I started with freestyle,” Garcia said. “When I was 10 years old, I joined the swim team in Mexicali. I enjoy swimming because it's relaxing. I loved competing in Mexico and the United States.”
Garcia's grandmother, Isabel Victorica, coached and supported Julia throughout her swimming career and was present when Garcia won the CIF San Diego Section meet.
“My grandmother encouraged me and supported me. She competed in swimming in Mexicali and coached the swim team, so she always believed in me,” Garcia said. Told. “She was there when I won the section prize…I was so happy because I could see how happy she was.”
Calexico High School didn't have a swim team for many years because it didn't have a qualifying swimming facility, but the new pool has benefited Garcia and Diaz by giving them an opportunity to compete.
Diaz, who was named head swimming coach in 2021, got the opportunity to swim at Calexico in 2017 during his junior year.
“I started swimming competitively in third grade. Before that, we didn't have a pool or a team, so once I got in the pool, I gave it my all,” Diaz said. “I swam freestyle, medley and freestyle relay. I am proud that our 200 meter freestyle relay qualified for the CIF-SDS finals for the first time in 2018.”
Calexico's swimming program is relatively new compared to programs at Southeastern Conference schools, but it's interesting to note that Diaz's assistant coaches, Maria Licona and Sergio Garcia, are also recent former Bulldog swimmers.
Looking ahead to the remaining two years of high school competition and beyond, becoming a state champion will mean even more effort for Garcia in the pool and in the classroom.
“I want to work on improving my times and make it to the Division I level at CIF, where I fell one second short this year,” Garcia said. “Beyond that, I'd like to swim in college and study industrial design.”
