{"id":410891,"date":"2020-01-13T14:11:17","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T21:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=410891"},"modified":"2020-01-15T17:30:08","modified_gmt":"2020-01-16T00:30:08","slug":"cal-sophomore-cassidy-bayer-to-take-time-off-from-swimming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/cal-sophomore-cassidy-bayer-to-take-time-off-from-swimming\/","title":{"rendered":"Cal Sophomore Cassidy Bayer to Take Time Off from Swimming"},"content":{"rendered":"

University of California sophomore Cassidy Bayer<\/strong> announced Saturday that she is taking a hiatus from swimming.<\/p>\n

The butterflier\/freestyler qualified for Olympics Trials at age 16 in 2016, finishing third and fourth in the butterfly events. But injuries have slowed her progress, and despite being an important piece for the reigning NCAA runner-up, Bayer is stepping away from the pool to treat an eating disorder.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo as I ‘ring in the New Year’ I will press pause and take a step back from the sport I love to seek care for my eating disorder and the voices within my head that drive it,\u201d Bayer posted in a moving Instagram post. \u201c\u2026 As I go through this process I know I have the love and support from my family, friends, teammates, coach\u2019s [sic], and doctors and that\u2019s really all I need!\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cyou\u2019re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think\u201d -Christopher Robin \u2022\u2022\u2022 I was first introduced to this quote by my age group swim coach Jeff King. Jeff would always use these magical words to remind me of my bravery, strength, and wisdom during times I doubted my physical\/mental capabilities needed to reach the goals I set for myself. Within no time Robins quote became a favorite of mine because it repeatedly helped reassure me of my mental and physical strength both in and out of the pool. Cheesy? Yes…but oh well??\u200d\u2640\ufe0f! I bought into those inspiring words when I would struggle in order to accomplish the goals I set for myself. Yet, as we grow our mindsets change and unfortunately most obstacles that arise in life can\u2019t be fixed by moving quotes. I wish. \u2022\u2022\u2022 Life becomes a little more complicated then it was as a kid. We perceive things differently, we make our own decisions, and unexpected obstacles arise! For me, the obstacle I have battled for quite sometime has left me constantly unsure of my bravery, strength, and wisdom. \u2022\u2022\u2022 For sometime now I have simply fought myself and no one else. I have attempted to continuously use Robins motivational words to reach the unstoppable and competitive self I believe I was as a younger girl. However, Robins wise words and the meaning behind them have slowly disappeared in the sea of voices in my head. \u2022\u2022\u2022 That being said, motivational quotes can\u2019t solve my problems or anyone\u2019s for that matter. But, learning how to take action by asking for additional help can. So as I \u201cring in the New Year\u201d I will press pause and take a step back from the sport I love to seek care for my eating disorder and the voices within my head that drive it. In doing so, I hope Robin\u2019s wise words will come back to me during treatment. \u2022\u2022\u2022 As I go through this process I know I have the love and support from my family, friends, teammates, coach\u2019s, and doctors and that\u2019s really all I need! SO, to conclude this horrifically long caption…I will be taking a break from social media:)happy new year my friends\u2764\ufe0f & as always go bears?<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Cassidy Bayer<\/a> (@cassidy_bayer) on