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[SIZE=5]Missy Franklin's Quest to Recapture the Joy of Swimming[/SIZE][/COLOR]
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After disappointment in Rio, the five-time Olympic gold medalist reflects on her life in the water[/SIZE] [/COLOR]
[COLOR="#808080"]Missy Franklin in a portrait taken in December in Manhattan.[/COLOR] [COLOR="#696969"]
Photo: Allison Michael Orenstein for The Wall Street Journal.[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#696969"]Jan. 17, 2017 12:03 p.m. ET[/COLOR]
Missy Franklin, 21, is a competitive swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist. She is the author of "Relentless Spirit" (Dutton). She spoke with Marc Myers. My parents are my closest friends. I know that sounds corny, but with me it's not a line. Throughout my life, my parents never tried to force me to be someone I wasn't, and they've always supported me with unconditional love.
I'm an only child, and I arrived in an unconventional way. My mom found out at a young age that she wasn't able to have children, so when my parents decided in their 40s to start a family, they explored surrogacy and adoption options.
[COLOR="#808080"]Dick and D.A. Franklin with Missy.[/COLOR] [COLOR="#696969"]
Photo: Franklin family.[/COLOR]
As for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, well, things didn't quite turn out as planned. I failed to make the finals in my individual events, and when I returned home, I felt empty, despite winning a team-relay gold.
I had to come to grips with failure, and it wasn't an easy time. I had to find a way to deal with the disappointment. What's worse, the failure had occurred in front of billions of people.
It's not something I'm trying to "get past" now but instead I'm using the setback to make me a better person and a better athlete. I want the experience with me to use as motivation.
[COLOR="#808080"]U.S. Olympians at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Ms. Franklin is on the far right.[/COLOR] [COLOR="#696969"]
Photo: Getty Images.[/COLOR]
Today, I'm back at the University of California, Berkeley. I'm living in a small apartment near campus with my best friend, who's also on the women's swim team.
I'm a total girly-girl when I'm away from the pool. We've turned our apartment into a place that is silly, frilly and comfortable. I especially like hanging out in the kitchen, cooking Mediterranean and Greek food. Cooking helps me mentally detach. It allows me to be creative and teaches me to let go of any attempt to be perfect. I love trying new dishes without knowing how they're going to turn out.
Swimming is still one of the focal points of my life. My roommate and I are passionate about the sport, but we make time for ourselves and for our friends.
Right now my goal in the pool is to fall in love with the sport again. I want to know that I'm jumping in the pool every day for me and for no one else. I want swimming to become the bright light and source of love and joy it once was.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/missy-franklins-quest-to-recapture-the-joy-of-swimming-1484672627-----
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[SIZE=5]MISSY FRANKLIN OPENS UP ABOUT RIO DISAPPOINTMENT, SURROGATE MOTHER[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#808080"]"I had to come to grips with failure, and it wasn't an easy time. I had to find a way to deal with the disappointment. What's worse, the failure had occurred in front of billions of people."[/COLOR] [COLOR="#696969"]
Archive Photo via Mike Lewis/Ola Vista Photography[/COLOR]
https://swimswam.com/missy-franklin-opens-rio-surrogate-mother/-----
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[SIZE=5]Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin dishes on her new training team - a group of Cal Berkeley guys[/SIZE][/COLOR]
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VIDEO =>[/SIZE][/COLOR]
https://videos.vidible.tv/prod/2016-12/07/58486fad76a605758ef70355_853x480_v1.mp4?XQmtTt2RaNmys_mPJ4Icrana1E_dTIfAuS5wEaH8AuURiOAP7lV0wKWQsatBEN-6https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/02/15/olympic-swimmer-missy-franklin-dishes-on-her-new-training-team/21714218/-----