After two years of hard work and being patient, Janelle Nassim finally accomplished something she had not done since her days as a Floyd Central swimming standout.

On Jan. 9 in Boca Raton, Fla., the Florida Atlantic University junior earned her first individual victory in the collegiate ranks by winning the 50-yard freestyle during a home dual-meet victory over rival Florida International, 135-87. Her winning time was 26.91 seconds.

Nassim, a past state qualifier at Floyd, was glad to finally get back on top of the winner’s podium.

“It was a good feeling,” Nassim said. “It was nice to feel that all the training had paid off. Since I got to college, I’ve been trying to swim my best times and score points for the team.”

The victory helped her pick up a relay win the following week in a 163-122 loss at Florida. She teamed up with Jonna Nyback, Arielle Newnam and Emilienne Allen to take first in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:38.87.

Nassim says she is having her best season at the South Florida school. The main reason for that is she has finally grown accustomed to the intense training regimen at Florida Atlantic and likes training with the Owls’ sprint swimmers this year. The past two seasons, she has worked out with FAU’s middle-distance group.

“It has been a better season than the past two,” Nassim said. “I’m better adjusted to the training this season. I’ve been training with the sprint group and it’s a different kind of workout. With the sprint group, you are more focused on the workout.”

The training regimen includes countless laps and hours spent in the pool. Plus Nassim lifts weights with her teammates three times a week.

“The training here is at a whole new level,” Nassim said. “You swim more yards and there are more practices per week (than in high school). The times are faster by the other swimmers.”

Despite the intense training, Nassim enjoys the swimming environment at FAU. The Owls’ home pool is outside in the Florida sun, where they practice throughout the week and have their home meets at.

“I really enjoy it,” Nassim said. “You’re in the sun all day, making it enjoyable to train outside. Most teams go to Florida to swim outside. But for us, we do it year-round. Definitely, that’s an advantage.”

Nassim and the rest of the Florida Atlantic roster hope the training will pay off this season in the Sun Belt Conference Championship meet Feb. 17-20 in Nashville, Tenn.

The Owls’ goal at this year’s meet is to finish in the top three. Last year, Florida Atlantic placed fourth.

“If everyone steps up, we should do well as a whole,” Nassim said. “There are a lot of good teams and the times have gotten faster recently (in the Sun Belt).”

Being competitive in the Sun Belt Conference is not the only challenge Nassim faces at Florida Atlantic.

Nassim is a pre-med/biological sciences major at FAU, as she is studying to become a doctor. She is taking some tough, upper-level science classes this year like in bio-chemistry and physics.

Still, Nassim has been able to produce an unbelievable grade-point average of 3.99. She had a perfect 4.0 GPA entering last semester when she got a B for a lab in one of her courses.

“I’ve always wanted to do it,” Nassim said about becoming a doctor. “It’s what I’m supposed to do. I’ve always liked science.”

Nassim has not made a decision on what form of medicine she wants to specialize in.

“I’m leaving my options open,” Nassim said.

Being more than 1,000 miles away from home, Nassim does not get a chance to return to her hometown of Floyds Knobs very often. She was able to come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas this past year and has returned to Southern Indiana during summer break.

But that has not stopped her from seeing her parents — Ben and Cynthia — who periodically go down to Boca Raton to see their daughter perform.

“It’s tough being away. But my parents come down here every couple of months,” said Nassim, who talks to her parents on the phone several times a day. “It’s good to see them come down. We definitely keep in touch.”