Ema Rajic is finally feeling like herself on the pool deck, and it is translating into some stellar performances in the water.
The Cal junior has already broken her own school record in the 100-yard breaststroke (58.79) and is aiming for more.
“I am pretty loud and something about this year has made me not afraid to be who I am,” Ema Rajic told Swimming World. “I can be really goofy and loud. I try to get other people fired up, because if I can fire other people up, it fires me up.”
But despite this, Rajic doesn’t see herself as a team leader.
“Honestly, I don’t even really view myself as a leader. I look at Izzy (Ivey) and think she is my leader,” Rajic said. “I just try to do what is best for me and my team. We support each other and that builds the trust within the team. Once you’re hear, you’re a Bear. Everyone leads in their own way. We feed off of that energy and vibe.”
Ema Rajic. Photo Courtesy: Cal Athletics
Ivey said the reason Rajic doesn’t believe she is a leader is what makes her such a good one. She leads by example and brings her voice to practice.
“We had such great leaders before with big shoes to fill,” Ivey said. “Ema’s vibe in practice is always really good, while I am quiet for the most part during practice. We just kind of vibe well together. Although Ema is loud during practice, I feel like we are silent leaders in a lot of ways, leading by example.”
Rajic does this with a simple mantra.
“I am a really big believer in one day at time. I do get ahead of myself in other areas of my life, but in swimming, I really try to focus on one practice at a time, one 50 at a time. I am a perfectionist in that regard too, that if I don’t do as well as I want, I will go that much harder the next 50,” she said.
That translates into speed in the water — and an even-keel mentality.
“I think (my success this season) is more mental,” Rajic said. “Since COVID, we have had limited meets and any chance we get to race even in practice, my mind automatically changes to race mode. That is what I thrive on.”
That mental game was the main thing Rajic worked on during the pandemic.
“Staying in shape wasn’t really my main concern. It was going through day by day activities and making sure that mentally, I was OK,” she said. “NCAAs was canceled and I stayed here a little bit. The Olympics got canceled and I went home to Austin, Texas. I didn’t swim for about a month or so and then the pools opened up and I was able to swim there. I did some YouTube workouts and went on a lot of bike rides and runs — definitely got my sun exposure in Texas. Once swimming came, I was swimming outdoors and that was awesome, it reminded me of (Cal).”
Rajic arrived back on campus and got right to work, and it paid off with a school record early in the season, the same week Reece Whitley broke a men’s breaststroke record.
Both are juniors and Rajic said Whitley has been an important bond for her, even if the men’s and women’s teams aren’t together because of the pandemic this year.
But the first time they met was long before they arrived in Berkeley.
Ema Rajic. Photo Courtesy: Catharyn Hayne – KLC Fotos
“I remember getting his autograph when I was a sophomore in high school at NSCAs,” she said.
Now they are both juniors at Cal and school record-holders.
“Seeing how he has grown and the leader he has become has been inspiring,” Rajic said. “I really want to find my voice outside the pool and not just be a swimming person. I want to find another facet in myself and Reece has done an incredible job at that. Having him in the same class is the cherry on top.”
Rajic is aiming for a big finish to her season, and the team’s season at NCAAs.
“Keeping the momentum rolling has been really big. I wan to continue to keep that rolling and see how many more times I can break that record,” Ema Rajic said. “NCAAs has been on our minds for a while. Our team is something special.”
