You won't find Elizabeth Villasenor's name anywhere on the AIA list of swimmers who qualified for state. In fact, you'll have scroll through several pages of Division I swimmers to find her best times of 32.73 in the 50 Free and 1:45.26 in the 100 Breast listed. And, right there, you will find her name.

Elizabeth Villasenor.

The Sunnyside junior has been swimming off an on for about ten years and she, like a lot of young girls, fought against her mom's efforts to make swimming more of a regular part of her life. Mothers always know.

It turns out swimming might just be the thing that will make Elizabeth's life more bearable.  More normal.

"I loved swimming when I was little but I didn't want to do it all the time," Elizabeth remembered. It was just something to do in the summer. But I got more into to it last year and now I feel I can't live without it."

Elizabeth started to get rashes on her hands and her legs at a young age. So much so that she had to endure the bullying that comes with being different than other kids on the playground. Then the blisters and ulcers came.

There were times when Elizabeth couldn't eat for several days because her mouth was lined with blisters that often extended to the back of her throat. Imagine spilling salt or any kind of spice on an open wound and then imagine having dozens of those wounds in your mouth and throat.

"It felt like I couldn't eat for a week sometimes," Elizabeth explained. "My mom would fix me a smoothie but that would also hurt. I had to take pills to get all the vitamins and nutrients I needed."

Sadly, that part of her life is still with her and it could possibly be with her for the rest of her life.

After many attempts at creams and various medications, a diagnoses of Behçet's syndrome finally came.  It's a rare disease that involves ulcers associated with mucous membranes. The disease can lead to blindness, heart problems, abdominal pain and death in the rarest of cases.

"I told the doctors I didn’t care about the cost or the amount of trouble it would take. Please help my daughter," her father Leo told me when confronted with the diagnosis.

"To see her like this, I would change places with her in a heart beat. There is not a cure right now and a lot of things go through my mind. It's very difficult to see her like this."

Elizabeth counted 13 children in her family when asked how big it was. That includes mixed families, adopted and foster children. 13.

You don't have to be a parent to realize that's already a lot of worries as it is.  And, for a mom like Elizabeth (they share the same name), taking in extra foster children already shows her ability to care beyond what many others would do.

"I'm so worried for her." her mother said when thinking about what the next week might bring. "She had an MRI done on her stomach last year and they want to do another one next week. They won't tell us why and my husband is getting more upset about it. They said they found something, maybe stones, but they don't know."

As you can see from the picture above, Elizabeth is a very beautiful young woman. Through various skin treatments, the rashes that used to get so much attention from other kids cannot compete with her pretty face or strong-willed attitude.

Some still pause when they see her and a few still make remarks but Elizabeth is part of a team now. If you have ever played a team sport then you would understand what that means. If you mess with one you better be prepared to deal with everyone else.

"I coached her since middle school," Ernie Palomarez said. "She is really confident and works hard everyday. On top of that she is an AP student. She is a really good kid and her teammates have come to help her like I have never seen before."

Palomarez is a coaching legend. He recently retired from coaching baseball at both Sunnyside and then Rincon (nearing 600 wins). He decided to go back to Sunnyside to help coach softball with his brother Pete.

When Sunnyside was about to drop the swim team due to a lack of participation and coaches, Palomarez stepped in.

"There are times when one of her blisters would open in her mouth and others wouldn't know what to do. Some of the boys on the team would step in and help her to the deck and take her away where she felt safe," Palomarez added.

Elizabeth is offered Federal protection in the classroom in the form of being able to achieve to her higher than average abilities without having her disease get in the way. But, sadly, the boys on the swim team may be able to protect her in the pool but they cannot help in the classroom. That is supposed to be the job of the school.

"I take honors and AP classes but there are times when my teachers just don't understand that I cannot talk when my mouth is full of blisters," Elizabeth explained. "When they come they often go all the way down my throat. It hurts just to swallow.

"They don't understand or know what's going on in my life."

What has happened in the classroom has mirrored what once happened on the playground but I have a feeling that too will change once her story gets out.

Elizabeth already has too much stress in her life and stress is the one factor that can lead to more severe symptoms and consequences. She cannot worry about those who don't understand her life. Her life depends on not worrying.

Stress? Well, that's where the swimming comes in.

Although not a cure, it turns out swimming is one of the best things for people who suffer from Behçet's syndrome. Yes, a mom does always know.

"I asked her to swim and she was against it," her mother told me. "But now I don't think we can get her out of the pool. It makes us proud to see her swim. She doesn't have to win, we just need to see her out there. I hope she knows that."

Being strong-willed, Elizabeth is not content on just being in the pool. When her school had no stroke coach, she took it upon herself to watch Youtube videos from the Olympics to see how they swam. She would watch over and over again.

No, her times may not be near those of state champions but she has earned the right to be called a swimmer.

Her competitions will continue for the rest of her life. It turns out the rest of us are the ones with "participation" ribbons not her.

We are all hoping the latest round of tests will prove to be minor.

"It's not going to stop me no matter what," Elizabeth added. "People see me differently but I wish they would understand who I am."