Smith switches his focus back to pool
DANIEL Smith says his life lessons will eventually help him “save a lot of young people” but he’s had to pull back from community work in order to fulfil his swimming potential.
Smith, 26, was the feelgood story of the last Commonwealth Games, making an extraordinary comeback from drug addiction and at one stage, homelessness, to earn a place on the team for Glasgow.
His personal story has helped inspire many others but the time he was devoting to work outside the pool led to him missing the team for last year’s world championships and the Gold Coaster realised he had to pull back from his charitable work if he was to compete at a home Commonwealth Games. “I think it was a good thing for me missing the team last year,” Smith said ahead of next week’s Australian swimming team trials at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.
“At the time you didn’t think like that but swimming’s a funny sport, you get out what you put in.
“I was distracted with a few things, I wanted to help people out here and do all that stuff.
“And I’ve noticed with swimming, you can’t really be like that.”
A fit and focused Smith heads into next week’s swimming trials determined to earn the chance to compete in front of the family and friends that have backed his return.
But he competes in the 200m and 400m freestyle – events in which Australia has great depth – and knows he will have to be at his best to earn a spot on the team.
Smith’s Christian faith has been a vital plank in his battle against addiction.
So he found it difficult to cut back on the work he did through the church.
“There’s so much need out there, I guess it never ends really,” he said.
“But you can’t save the world.
“I’ve got a job to do and that’s to swim in the pool. I don’t feel like I’m done yet.
“I still want to reach my potential and I feel like that’s exciting.”
Smith knows it will be difficult to clinch an individual position in his events, where he will battle the likes of Olympic gold medallists Mack Horton and Kyle Chalmers, Olympic finalists Cam McEvoy and David McKeon and a host of rising stars like fellow Gold Coaster Elijah Winnington.
“But that’s what we train to do. I’ve trained to put myself in a position to get the individual spot.
“Whatever the outcome, I’ll know I’ve done everything I can to put myself in that position and I guess that’s a good position to be in.
“I’ve never felt like this going into the trials.”
Smith has learnt plenty in the four years since his return to the pool.
“I think swimming’s taught me a lot,” he said. “I’ve been swimming since I was five.
“Swimming didn’t take me out, but I was one of the ones that people would laugh at, saying: ‘He didn’t make it, he was a failure’.
“But I had to really find myself and learn about myself and why I’m actually doing swimming.
“I believe sport can do two things for you – it can either set you up for the rest of your life, or it can destroy your life.
“And I really want it to set me up for the rest of my life.
“I definitely went through what I went through for a reason.
“I’m going to be able to save a lot of young people going through what I went through, and help them find who they really are. And I think that’s the most exciting part of my journey.”
I’VE GOT A JOB TO DO AND THAT’S TO SWIM IN THE POOL. I DON’T FEEL LIKE I’M DONE YET. DANIEL SMITH