It may seem strange to call a 17-year-old athlete a national team "veteran," but that's exactly how you could describe West Vancouver swimmer Emily Overholt heading into a packed summer of action that will include the Pan Am Games and senior world championships.
Overholt got the rookie jitters out of the way when she was competing in last year's Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, her first ever senior national team competition. There she was called upon to anchor the women's 4x200-metre freestyle relay team, swimming the final leg.
She'd been in big meets before, including the 2013 world junior championships where she won a bronze medal, but this was the big leagues. As the relay unfolded at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, it became clear that Overholt would need to put in a solid swim to keep Canada in a medal position.
"I was kind of freaking out a little bit right before I was supposed to go," Overholt told the North Shore News Thursday as she recalled the Commonwealth Games race. "It was a close race. I was just really nervous. It was a lot of pressure."
As her turn in the pool approached, Overholt leaned on her older, more experienced teammates Sam Cheverton, Brittany MacLean, and Alyson Ackman for support.
"They were so helpful for me," said Overholt. "Sam and Britney who swam the first two legs of the race, they were just telling me to have fun. .. just enjoy the moment. Race hard, obviously. But they were definitely helping to calm me down."
As the race unfolded Australia, the heavy favourites, held a slim lead but Canada and England weren't far behind.
"When I got in the water I just raced as hard as I could and did what I had been training to do," said Overholt. "It worked out OK."
More than OK - Overholt hung with the Australian, an Olympic medallist, while holding off the English swimmer to secure the silver.
"It was crazy," said Overholt, adding that she didn't know where she had finished until she popped out of the water and checked out the standings. "I had to look at the board. It was really exciting. All the girls were around the block and they were all cheering."
It was the biggest moment in what has already been a stellar career for the teenager.
It's all a little astounding considering how it started for Overholt.
"It was kind of random how I got into it," she said, adding that when she was eight years old she tried out a number of different activities, looking for a favourite. Swimming won out. "My parents never swam and I had brothers and they don't swim. I tried it and I really liked it and I just stuck with it."
Success came quickly.
At age 14 she was on the junior national team. At 15 she won a senior national title and raced in the world juniors.
Now, just graduated from Collingwood School, she's off to her second major games and hoping to hit the podium again.
And this time she'll be playing for the home team with Toronto set to host the Pan Am Games July 10-26.
"It's a great feeling," she said of representing her country. "It's definitely really exciting to think that when you're racing you're not just racing for yourself, you're racing for your country. You're representing Canada and you're racing for your team. You're swimming for something more than just yourself."
Over all of this looms the 2016 Olympics in Rio where Overholt hopes to compete. By then she'll be a seasoned veteran at the ripe old age of 18. With the success she's had at such a young age it doesn't seem a stretch to picture Overholt as the next big star in Canadian swimming. Not that she's going to proclaim that for herself.
"I just take it one step at a time," she said with a laugh. "I don't put that much pressure on myself. I just see how each year goes.. .. Each year I get more excited for the Olympic year. That's what we're all getting ready for - to hopefully make the Olympic team."
Spoken like a true veteran.
