Feature Friday: In The Blink Of An Eye

Feature Friday highlights the tremendous personal stories our coaches and cadet-athletes have to share on a weekly basis. Each Friday, a new feature story will be prominently highlighted on GoArmyWestPoint.com. The features will include multi-media pieces, as well as written stories by media outlets and the Army West Point athletic communications staff.

Driving a car seems simple, and most times, it is. You hit the gas, steer and use the brake. However, there is always that lingering fear for many people when in front of the wheel – getting into an accident. Having no control over what is happening and the car, or sometimes worse, the people inside, can be seriously affected.

That fear was all too real for Army West Point women's swimming and diving team member, Kelly Hamilton, in the fall of 2011.

"It was the fall of my junior year of high school and I had woken up early for a morning swim practice," Hamilton said. "I went to a boarding school over 30 minutes away, so it was quite early in the morning."

Hamilton attended and graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 2013, a selective private college preparatory boarding school in Mercersburg, Pa.

"I was driving down the same road I always drove on and everything was normal. I remember changing the radio station and the next thing I knew my brakes weren't working. There was an oncoming car and I wasn't able to stop, so I tried to go to the side of the road. Unfortunately, my car hitch a ditch and went air-borne. It ended up flipped upside down and wrapped around a telephone pole."

Luckily for Hamilton, this horrific crash didn't go unnoticed. A Mennonite family saw everything and stopped to see if she was alright. Once the initial shock lapsed, Hamilton was able to crawl out of the broken car and contact her parents.

"I had a really old Honda civic and the car was so damaged that it looked like I should have been dead," Hamilton added. "It had so many dents and was smashed in the front. I actually crawled out of the back window to get out of the car to begin with.

"I had a bunch of scratches on my arms and a really bad concussion. Thankfully, I didn't have any broken bones or serious injuries. I was wearing my seatbelt, which made things a lot better than what they could have been."

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that is caused from a serious blow or jolt to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth.

Any car accident, small or large in size, can be very damaging to a person. Hamilton was no different.

"I was really shaken up for a few days after the accident," Hamilton said. "My concussion was so bad that I had a very hard time with my right and left coordination. I also had some neck pain. Emotionally, I was pretty upset. I told my parents I didn't want to drive again. It was definitely scary getting back into cars throughout the coming weeks."

But what about her swimming career? Hamilton would not only need to learn to cope with the accident but also with having her passion and dream be put on standby while she recovered.

"When it came to swimming, I was out for about three months of our season, which I had never experienced before," Hamilton added. "I really missed swimming and just physical activity in general. I kept failing my ImPACT test, which determined if I was healthy enough to compete again."

An ImPACT test is a computerized assessment tool that helps determine if a person has a concussion or not. Every athlete takes an ImPACT test at the beginning of their sport season in order to establish a baseline score. Doctors then compare both scores to determine the significance of the concussion. If the person does not meet their baseline score, they cannot compete in their respective sport until they do.

"I really leaned on my parents and the rest of my family for support during that time," Hamilton said. "I also met with a chiropractor that would try to help ease the pain I was feeling. Additionally, my best friend Kylie helped a lot too. Just having her around took my mind off of the rehab and the accident.

"When I was finally able to get back into the pool, I ended up having one of the best seasons of my high school career."

Hamilton finished high school a five-time finalist as an individual and relay team member at the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming Championships. She was also named a three-time Academic All-MAPL selection during her time at Mercersburg Academy.

The accident not only affected Hamilton physically, but changed her mental outlook toward her swimming career.

"I think it was the first time where I realized that not everything had to go exactly right for me to do well. Before the accident, I was always superstitious about my training and practicing, thinking I had to do it a certain number of times each week to do well. But seeing the success I had after the accident, it showed me that I'm the one who controls how I swim and all of those external factors didn't matter."

It took a while for Hamilton to actually appreciate the experience, even if it wasn't a happy one.

"At the time, I took the fact that I was able to jump back into the pool in just a few months for granted. I understand the gravity of the incident so much more now and I've come to realize how lucky I actually was."

After graduation, Hamilton was set for her next adventure – the United States Military Academy.

In her three-plus years so far on the banks of the Hudson, she has set several academy records in the pool and has been named an Academic All-Patriot League honoree in each of her last two seasons.

This year alone, Hamilton has been a part of at least 13 individual or team wins, and has led Army to its current record of 5-3, including a 4-1 mark in Patriot League action.

Despite all her personal accomplishments and accolades over the years, this Black Knights' captain most emphasizes the importance of overcoming adversity.

"The advice I like to give to other athletes is that 'don't let adversity of any kind get in the way of your goals. You can overcome any obstacle life brings you."

Kelly Hamilton's collegiate swimming career will come to a close after this season and she will turn her focus to serving our country. However, her passion, resiliency and toughness will push her past any obstacle in and out of the pool.

Army West Point Athletics

Feature Friday: In The Blink Of An Eye

Players Mentioned

Kelly Hamilton

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