By RICH FISHER
Contributing Editor
Leah Krompholz has gone through some alterations in recent years. She has adjusted how she competes in swimming and has changed how she talks with God through prayer.
The two are actually intertwined for the Donovan Catholic, Toms River, senior.
During her sophomore year, Krompholz was struck by Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS), a complicated condition that worsened her already painful joint issues. The more she swam for the Griffins, the more often she had to endure severe pain and poor races.
There is no cure for AMPS but there are ways to manage it. Through extensive therapies, both physical and occupational, Krompholz learned to deal with it and has begun feeling better this season. Knowing that stress makes the condition worse, the talented aquawoman decided not to take her races so seriously.
“I had to relearn that the numbers on the clock aren’t as important as enjoying the swim itself,” Krompholz said. “It changed my whole mindset. I wouldn’t be able to swim if all I focused on were times. Any stress would make it worse. I had to literally re-learn certain technical things and just focus more on enjoying the sport.”
Not only did her attitude toward swimming change, but so did her prayer requests.
“Prayer and faith are both very important for me, especially with (AMPS); it’s honestly how I get through it all – a lot of trusting God,” said Krompholz, a member of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River. “I’ve refined my prayers. I took swimming for granted when I was younger and my prayers were more like a ‘Let me win’ kind of thing.’
“Now I want to get out there and have fun with it. My prayers are more like ‘Thank you for letting me be able to do this,’” she continued. “At first it was like, ‘Why does this have to happen to me?’ Once I thought about it more maturely, you just learn to accept it and lean on your faith.”
Her courage has not been lost on first-year Griffins coach Alexandra Bonnano, who watches Leah battle on a daily basis.
“The discomfort associated with her illness makes any physical exercise extremely painful,” Bonanno said. “She demonstrates resilience and mental toughness, whether at practice, school or a race. She battles through this every single day. On some days, she feels fantastic, but on others, you can see how her body is struggling in the pool as it goes through the discomfort. However, you would never be aware that Leah is experiencing this while she competes.”
The results bear out that statement as Krompholz has remained a strong swimmer throughout her ordeal. After some tough seasons, between individual events and relays Leah has 18 first-place finishes, four seconds and a third this year.
Bonanno, who recently coached at Montclair University, wishes she could have watched Krompholz’s progress since her freshman year. But she is thankful to have one year to coach her.
“Leah possesses a lot of characteristics that allow her to succeed in competition,” Bonanno said. “She is committed to consistently practicing with her club squad and has a strong work ethic. She has a strategy for sustaining her speed during a race, and she adheres to it.”
Not to mention, as one of four team captains she serves as a strong leader and role model.
“She consistently shows up on the pool deck with a positive attitude and genuine concern for this team,” Bonanno said. “Her enthusiasm for the sport shines through during meet days. Because of this, you can place her in any event, and she will give her all every time.”
Krompholz’s main events are the 200 and 500 free, and she also does some backstroke. People question why she swims distance with her pain issues, wondering if a sprint might be better just to get the race over with.
“I’m better at keeping a consistent pace,” Krompholz explained. “I have better endurance. I enjoy those races more; I enjoy being able to plot out in my head what I’m going to do during my race and actually being able to think about it. With sprints there’s no thinking involved; you just go as fast as you can.”
Leah is considering doing the 200 and backstroke, along with relays, at the upcoming Shore Conference meet, stating that, “I’ve been having some trouble with the 500, it’s been a little bit of a mental block.”
Bonanno is looking for a good performance in whatever Krompholz swims.
“She has been working hard in training and discovering new physical therapy techniques to treat her AMPS,” the coach said. “Leah is eager to earn points for her team in her individual events. She unfortunately experienced a flare-up with her AMPS at Ocean Counties and is eager to come back stronger.”
Krompholz has ruled out college swimming but will major in marine biology at Montclair. As a lifelong beachcomber at Long Beach Island and Island Beach State Park, she knows where she belongs.
“I’ve had a (marine biology) internship and volunteered at an aquarium,” she said. “I’ll never escape the water.”
The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.