She may not be a favorite to reach the podium in her events at the Tokyo Olympics but the US-based Filipina swimmer Remedy Rule has worked on her mental toughness coming into the biggest sporting event in the world.

“If you have a lane, you have a chance,” Rule said.

Rule, alongside Luke Gebbie, was one of the late additions to the 19-strong Philippine Olympics contingent, thanks to universality places by the International Swimming Federation, the sport’s world governing body, to be able to compete in the quadrennial meet.

She is well aware of the level of competition come the Olympic Games but she is not wary of what her competitors, bannered by powerhouse the United States and China, would do in the Games.

In an interview with ANC, Rule revealed that her game plan was to only mind her lane and focus on what she can control while slicing the pool in Tokyo.

“I think one thing I really try to work on this past year is the mental game, what I can control. Because I can't control what other swimmers and competitors are going to be doing, but I can stay in my lane and focus on my plan . . . Just refocus on what I know I can do well and what I can control,” Rule explained.

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The University of Texas swimming alumnus was coming off an impressive double silver performance at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines.

In one event, she was poised to capture the first gold of the Philippines in swimming after a decade, but fell short in ruling the women's 200-meter butterfly and settled for a bridesmaid finish.

Rule lost by two-hundredths of a second to Singapore's Jing Wen Quah, who eclipsed Rule with a time of 2:10.97, a new SEA Games record.

"I shouldn't have cut my finger nails the other day," Rule jokingly told the media after the awarding ceremony. It may sound like a joke but it could have spelled a difference in swimming.

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James Deiparine, later on, rewarded the Philippines its first SEA Games gold in swimming after 10 years.

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The following year, Rule copped the bronze in the 200m butterfly at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Des Moines, Iowa, clocking a new national record of 2:09.58. It was also within the Olympic Selection Time (OST) or Olympic Standard B.

This raised her total accumulated FINA points to 830 which made her the top swimmer in the country, securing her Olympic seat.

She also had a total of 808 FINA points in the 100m of the same stroke after a 59.55-second performance during the heats of the Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite & Time Trials last May 5 in Austin, Texas, enough for another event in Tokyo.

But her road to the Olympics, as expected, was not smooth sailing, most notably because of the pandemic.

Having been into the waters for almost every day of her life, Rule shared that the health crisis had been, by far, her greatest challenge as an athlete, halting her training for over two months, the longest she has been out of the pool.

“For the mental and emotional part, it was challenging because, you know, I love swimming, and I love what I am doing. I came up with a high to represent the Philippines at Worlds and at the SEA games and then it was like the whole world came to a close and so that was definitely a hard adjustment,” Rule admitted.

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But the fighter she is, Rule stuck to her mantra.

Even before flying to Japan, the swimmer had to deal with some stress due to strict health measures going into the Games, which included paperwork and COVID-19 tests.

“Definitely brings some stress because, you know, it is a lot of people coming into one area. I'm going to be very pleased when I am physically on the plane going over to Tokyo and then into the Athlete Village,” she previously said.

Swimming may not be a popular sport in the Philippines but Rule has experienced the love of Filipinos for national athletes, and she could not help but be proud and honored to carry the country’s flag in arguably the biggest competition of her life.

“It was an honor, you know, my mom was born in the Philippines just to be able to connect to where she had come from and where I had come from from her and just learning more about my culture and being able to connect in that way,” Rule quipped.

“You know, my identity being Filipino and my identity as a swimmer. So it was really special being able to do both of those things representing the Philippines.”

She may not be a favorite to medal, but Rule is not counting herself out, assuring the Filipino fans of her best performance once she dips into the pool of the Aquatics Center.

“I'm just going to do everything I can and enjoy the process, enjoy the sport I love so much, that's given me so much. And you know what swimmers like to say. If you have a lane, you have a chance,” she vowed.

“I just want to touch the wall and know that I gave it my all. That, the swim reflects the work I've put in both in and out of the pool and just feeling, you know, really soaking in the whole process and doing my best.” — With a report from Migs Bustos

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