By Stacy Hollister

Swimming has been Kim Lambert's solace, a savior of sorts. Along the way, home addresses, school colors, teammates and friends have been changed and replaced. But since age 5, swimming has been a mainstay. Before her junior year of high school, Lambert's father got a job promotion.

Kim was less than enthused. The promotion meant the family would have to uproot from its home in Tulsa and relocate in St. Louis. She was in the middle of high school. It's hard enough to enter those halls of adolescence once, but to do it again, in a place where the other students her age had two years to become comfortable, to draw their lines and exclude around their perimeter, was difficult.

So within a week of the move, Lambert turned to what she knew could help ease the transition: swimming.

"I knew I needed to keep training, and I didn't have anything else to do," Lambert said. "It kept me busy and gave me a place to meet people. I met tons of girls and my high school coach, who's become one of my greatest mentors. It was pretty much my life."

At Lafayette High School, she continued to make swimming a priority. "It was hard at first," she said. "In one aspect, it was a savior. But it took awhile for me to be accepted. After one or two months, though, I realized I could still accomplish all I left in Tulsa."

Those accomplishments were significant -- 1997 Missouri state champion in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events, school record-holder in both the 50 and 100 free and the 100 breaststroke, four-time all-state and all-conference selection and honorable-mention all-American.

After all this, it was time to uproot herself again. College life was calling, and the University of Missouri held the greatest lure. Swimming would once again open doors and carry her into new friendships. It would offer the same comfort zone it always had.

As a freshman, Lambert showed flashes of the abilities that made her a high school standout. In her first dual meet, she won the 50 free. Lambert was slowed by illnesses throughout much of the season, but she swam well at the Big 12 Championships and placed third in each of her consolation races. Although she continued to battle illnesses as a sophomore, she finished in the top 20 in three events at the Big 12 Championships. After only two years at Missouri, she ranks among the top five all-time in five events. This season, she is Missouri's go-to sprinter.

"I need her there every weekend," MU coach Brian Hoffer said. "When I'm in a crunch, I feel very comfortable with going to her and letting her win it forus. ... She likes to win, and she knows how to. She's not afraid to do the things it takes. She doesn't look for shortcuts." Lambert will continue to take the direct route as she spends her final two seasons tweaking her technique to shave precious tenths of seconds off her sprinting speeds. Lambert enjoys the challenge of trying to beat the clock.

"I love to step up and take a challenge whenever it's presented to me," Lambert said. "I love to step up for the team and race whoever's next to me.I'm very happy, and I just hope I can continue to step up when I'm needed asa leader and a friend."