Shannon Dressler is used to competing in silence. When she’s swimming, no matter how many people are watching her, she dives into the pool, and the world condenses to just her and the water. But from Aug. 9 to Aug. 11, Dressler, a 16-year-old rising junior at Hudson High School, competed in front of full stands at the Patriot Games.
At first, the noise scared her — but not for long. “When I started the course, it all just poured out of my head,” Dressler said. “I didn’t really hear them.” Thus began her experience as the Ohio girl chosen to compete in the national games. What are the Patriot Games?
The Patriot Games were part of the Freedom 250 celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. They took place at the SPIRE Academy athletic facility in Geneva. They showcased student athletes competing in elimination-style competitions. One girl and one boy were chosen to represent each state, and there were also competitors from U.S. territories, military bases and tribal nations; 120 athletes total were part of the competition. Each was between 14 and 17 years old, and they competed for a pool of $250,000 in scholarships. Kennadi Fuhrman from Kansas won the female title, and Rockwell Myers from Utah won the male division, ESPN reported. They each received $125,000 in scholarship money.
Who is Hudson's Shannon Dressler, and how did she get to the Patriot Games? Dressler is a lifelong Hudson resident and has been swimming since she was in second grade. Her coach, Matt Davis, describes her as a “dynamite kid” and someone who “pushes herself beyond the limits.” When she saw the Patriot Games application, she thought, “Why not just try it?” She filmed an application video talking about herself and her athletic journey, and she soon found out she was chosen via an email. “I was in bed, and I looked at it, and then I ran downstairs to my mom and showed her, and I was shaking,” Dressler said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, look what I just got into!’” From there, she had about two weeks to prepare for the competition. The problem was, she had no idea what to prepare for. What was the competitor experience at the Patriot Games? Dressler is used to using her endurance and strength as a swimmer, but she added running to her training leading up to the competition. She reached out to Davis to ask for advice ahead of the competition. “I just told her to enjoy it, have fun and just go out there and compete,” he said. “She’s good at that, so I felt like it was easy for her to do — obviously physically demanding, but for her, I think she relishes that.” Two or three days before the games, she found out she would be running a 100-meter dash. At breakfast the day before, she found out what the rest of the events were going to be.
Heading into the competition, Dressler was sick and had an injured knee from running during training. She also twisted her ankle while she was competing. Even so, she gave it her all, and her family came to watch her each day. “The atmosphere was insane,” she said. “There were so many people cheering us on, especially during dodgeball and kickball.” Some of the events Dressler competed in included a presidential fitness test, dodgeball, kickball, a varsity circuit and a course called Operation Endurance. Operation Endurance was her favorite. Though she tripped toward the beginning of the course, she didn’t let it get to her. “I had to persevere, so I got back up,” she said. “Throughout it, I was just like, 'even though you fell, you just have to stay calm.' I was just keeping my head focused on the course. … When I pressed the button, I was just honestly so happy because that was done. I finished it. Everything I was nervous about, I didn’t have to be nervous.” What Dressler learned from competing in the Patriot Games Dressler said she’s used to pushing through hard things as a swimmer, and she carried that mindset into the competition. She learned to always persevere and give 100% because it’s the only thing that will make her better. “I honestly was just like, ‘I can’t give up now — I’m here,’” she said.
She has not found out how she placed, but she feels that she did well overall, and she said she still hasn’t processed that she was chosen to compete. She said she made friends with a lot of like-minded people at the competition, all from different states. Dressler is going to continue swimming throughout high school and hopes to do well this competition season. At one point in the competition, she was about 10 feet away from President Donald Trump, which she described as “insane.” “The crowd, like, erupted,” she said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Bryce Buyakie contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Hudson student shares 'insane' experience competing in Patriot Games