“It was part of the plan,” shared Regan Smith, who reclaimed the women’s 100-meter backstroke world record at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials at Lucas Oil Stadium, lowering the mark to a stunning 57.13 seconds. And indeed, it was part of a plan.

What’s truly impressive is that this blazing performance came just six months after recovering from mono. Despite this setback, Smith was determined. In a full-circle moment, just a day after breaking the world record at the 2024 Swim Trials, Regan Smith took to Instagram to share a picture of a note with the goal she had set back in January. On a pink note were the words, “100 backstroke: 57.13.”

Alongside the picture, Regan captioned the story, “I set this goal in January while recovering from mono and put it on my fridge for inspiration,” adding, “Crazy.” Fast forward to the Swim Trials Smith’s electrifying win came in a final where every swimmer broke the minute mark. She didn’t let up throughout the race, swimming aggressively to beat Katharine Berkoff, who came in second, and breaking the record once held by Australian Kaylee McKeown.

When she saw the number, Smith shook her head in the pool, repeatedly looking back at the video screen where the time of 57.13 was displayed. As we reflect on her journey, let’s explore how her struggle began and recognize that this is just one of her many resilient moments leading up to the Paris Olympics.

How swimming star Regan Smith discovered she had mono and achieved another resilient victory

After a strong performance in 2023, where she won eight medals in the Pro Swim Series and five at the World Championships, Regan Smith faced a setback soon after the U.S. Open. She revealed shortly after winning the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 fly at the US Open in November that she flew home feeling extremely exhausted on December 3rd.

Initially, she thought it was just normal post-meet fatigue, but her performance in practice deteriorated over the following week, which she attributed to a typical post-meet sickness. Her coach, Bob Bowman, suspected mono, and after getting tested, she was diagnosed with the illness. This setback caused her to miss the first event of the 2024 TYR Pro Series in Knoxville. It was emotionally challenging for her to watch her teammates practice while she couldn’t participate.

“It’s been really hard to stay positive when I’m not able to be at my best, knowing Paris is only seven months away…It’s honestly an ongoing battle,” she said. With the help of a doctor from the Mayo Clinic, she was given a recovery timeline and by mid-to-late January, she could train normally again. By early February, she felt fully herself, and just six weeks later, she broke a U.S. Open record in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 57.64 seconds.

She also achieved a personal best in the 100-meter butterfly with 56.36 seconds and wowed in the 200-meter butterfly with 2:04.80, along with a blazing 2:03.99 in the 200-meter backstroke. Fast forward six months to the 2024 US Swim Trials, and Regan Smith’s world record shows she hasn’t let her illness stand in the way of her Paris Olympics dream. It’s truly inspiring to see how she’s come full circle from such a challenging time. What do you think about this epic comeback? Share your thoughts in the comments below!