Ventura College swimmer Christina Robledo honors her mom by swimming her heart out

April 25, 2013

Christina Robledo had yet to swim a race alone.

For more than a decade, April Robledo had stood at the end of her lane, urging her daughter through the water.

"She's always at the end of my lane," Christina said. "I'd see her before I get into the water, right before I jump in to start and when I finish."

That was until April Robledo, 17 months into a fight with stage 4 colon cancer, was told she had exhausted her treatment options.

"She was a fighter and she fought until the end," Christina said. "There was just nothing more they could do."

So the single mother delivered her last instructions to her only child:

"I remember her telling me to just swim my heart out," Robledo said.

Robledo fulfilled the promise last weekend. The slight 20-year-old from Camarillo with the sweet voice and braces echoed her mother's bravery during what would become both the best and worst meet of her life.

"I take after my mom," Robledo said.

GETTING HER HAIR WET

When 9-year-old Christina came home and told her mother that she was going to try out for a local swimming team, April's initial reaction was to laugh.

Her daughter had always resisted submerging her head underwater.

"You realize you're going to get your hair wet?" April asked. "You realize you're not going to be playing in the pool?"

Christina had tried several sports, but not taken to any, until April relented and began taking her to Pleasant Valley Aquatic Center in Camarillo.

"I jumped in the water and it felt right," Robledo said. "It felt like I was supposed to be there."

From that point forward, the pool was no longer a venue for splashing around.

"I knew it wasn't play time," Robledo said. "It was game time."

Robledo developed into an honors student and a champion, becoming Santa Clara High's first CIF swimming champion in 2011, winning the 100 backstroke in Division 4.

"I learned about myself through swimming," Robledo said. "As I got older, I learned to love the sport even more because I wanted to give her something to be proud of me for."

April was diagnosed only a few months after Christina graduated high school,

"Every kid's got to grow up at some point," Robledo said. "I realized, when my mom was diagnosed, that it was my time to grow up."

"I took on a lot more responsibilities. I realized at that point, that my life was going to change forever. It wasn't just going to be college and swimming, it was a lot more than that."

AN INSPIRATION

About the time Robledo was leading off the 400-yard individual medley last Thursday at the Western State Conference championships with a personal-best performance, April Robledo died.

"Christina was sky high," Ventura coach Larry Baratte said. "She had a terrific session, improving 10 seconds in 500 free and swimming her best time in the 100 back."

"She had a big smile on her face. ... It was difficult understanding what was going to be facing her in a few hours when she got home."

Robledo summoned the strength to return to the competition Friday and Saturday. Twelve family members offered support. Teammates displayed the initials "AR" over their left shoulder.

"My teammates were awesome," Robledo said. "They were so supportive. I know I was swimming for my mom, but I had teammates saying they were, too."

Robledo was a vision of strength, sweeping the 50- and 100-yard backstroke events in personal best times of 27.77 and 58.34 seconds, respectively, and was also part of four championship relays teams.

"Honestly, it's just been an inspiration to be around her," sophomore Abby Puczkowski said. "The same thing was going through everybody's mind. No way I could do what she did. I couldn't be that strong. She had the best meet of her life last weekend with everything that was going on. ... It was just so inspiring."

When the women's Swimmer of the Year award was presented to her, L.A. Valley coach Jim McMillan told Robledo she had "the heart of a champion."

"A lot of things were running through my head, it was hard for me to focus," Robledo said. "I was super surprised with my times. I didn't expect to go that fast at all. It was a really weird feeling. She was there with me while I swam.

"At the end of my lane — my teammates all there, I could hear them — the only person I could really see was my mom."

Robledo has gained something while losing her mother — a career. She made be finishing her prerequisites for VC's nursing program, but she already has two years of informal oncology and ostomy experience.

"I remember her telling me to be the best nurse that I could be," Robledo said.

Before burying her mother Tuesday, Robledo again takes to the pool this weekend at the CCCAA state championships at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park. She is the No. 5 seed in Friday's 50 backstroke and the top seed in Saturday's 100 backstroke.

"Even though last week was hard, I feel like this week is going to be even harder," Robledo said. "She knows that I always talked about winning state. ... It's going to be even harder because she's not going to be there."