Words spark belief

Never underestimate the impact one can make on another’s life.
Even the smallest moments can have a major influence. Neal Fennig is proof of that.
Neal may not even remember the story about to be shared here, but Josh Lykins does. And that’s what is important.
It’s a story Josh, a Jay County High School junior, shared Tuesday as he prepared for the IHSAA Boys Swimming and Diving State Finals. He’ll swim in Indianapolis on Friday along with James Keen, Cody White and Sok Vormohr in the 400-yard freestyle relay. They comprise the first Patriot relay team to advance to the state meet since 2003.
I asked Josh how it felt to be going to the state finals. He expressed his disbelief.
“It’s crazy. I don’t know how to explain it,” he said. “I never expected to be going to state. … I never expected to be going anywhere as a swimmer.”
The sound of his voice and the look on his face made it clear his thoughts were sincere.
So I asked him what changed. What was the turning point for a kid who never thought he would go anywhere in swimming? What made the difference and made him believe that he could get to where he is now?
Josh’s answer was striking.
When he was a freshman, he said, Neal told him that he could make the 50-second club.
For those who don’t know, the 50-second club includes any swimmer who breaks the 1-minute mark in the 100-yard freestyle.
Six boys swimmers reached that goal last season, and more than 125 have done so in Jay County history.
Josh wasn’t confident he’d be able to reach that mark. Neal, then a Patriot senior, told him he could.
So he worked for it. And during the sectional meet in his freshman season, he reached that goal.
He swam another 100 freestyle on Saturday — the final 100-yard leg of Jay County’s sectional-championship 400 freestyle relay. His time, 48.68 seconds.
His goal for the state finals is to break the 48-second mark on his leg of the relay. The 50-second club is a distant memory.
Josh probably would have made the 50-second club even without the encouragement from Neal, who now swims at Ball State University. Maybe he also would have continued to grow into the swimmer he has become today. Maybe someone else would have stepped in and offered him the words he needed to hear in order to spur him along.
Or maybe not. We’ll never know for sure because Neal was there to give him the inspiration.
“Ever since getting that at sectional my freshman year I’ve just been chasing to get bigger and better,” said Lykins of the 50-second club.
Josh’s goal next season will be to make the state finals in an individual event as well as a relay. It’s amazing to be able to say that, knowing what he thought of his own swimming abilities just two years ago.
He didn’t have dreams of going to state. It seems as if he never even thought he’d be one of the better swimmers on his own team. But he is now. And it’s largely because he got the right words of encouragement at the right time.
So if you have something positive to say to someone, pass it along. If you believe in someone, let them know. Don’t hold back.
You never know where your words will lead them. Neal’s started Josh on the path to state.[[In-content Ad]]