Success is most often achieved through hard work, talent and luck. The percentages of each can be debated, but, of the three, the determiner of the likelihood of success is hard work. Attorney Grace Patricia V. Custodio understands the value of hard work. Her determination and stick-to-itiveness are her calling cards, her work ethic never called into question.

When Grace was 12, independence already fully realized, she joined a summer swimming program unprompted. As with most young ladies, she tried ballet and piano. Unmoved by those activities, she wanted to try swimming, and, to her delight, she found she was good at it. “I joined a summer program and at the end of the summer, there was a short course swim meet as a culminating activity. I won a couple of medals and I just realized I liked doing it.” Admittedly, Grace knows she does not have the physique of a natural athlete. Other sports do not come naturally to her, but what she found out about herself was that she could outwork most people. Her competitive spirit then, and now, is indomitable. “I’m not as good picking up other sports like other athletes, so I relied on purely hard work.”

Each of Grace’s successes was not an achievement obtained overnight. It was the culmination of rigid discipline, thoughtful preparation, and constant training. “It’s preparation, not just for the 30 seconds before jumping into the pool. It’s twice-a-days. It’s 5:30 AM practices and then 5:30 PM practices. It’s Monday to Saturday: practice, school, homework, practice, sleep, repeat. The whole conditioning for the competition sets your mindset. During the competition, I psych myself up. I am ready and try to focus on myself and not the competition. It’s very difficult to do. After each race, you have to prepare yourself mentally and physically for the next one.”

Grace credits her swimming career for helping her develop the habits she uses to be successful in her legal career. “I was told that I am not a natural athlete. It didn’t come naturally to me so it was mostly hard work. Another big percentage was mentally toughness. It’s like my law career. I’m not the smartest. I didn’t graduate with honors but I think it’s the hard work and the dedication, the mental strength that counts for a lot. If you’re naturally gifted, you already have an advantage. But like with other things, if you don’t have “it”, it doesn’t mean you can’t be successful.”

With her legal career, Grace equates her goal setting with her swimming competitions. During the race, she focuses on the finish: there is no crowd, there is you, your lane, and your finish. “You notice the others in your peripheral, but you can’t be distracted by them. If you look, it slows you down.” With her legal practice, as well, it is about results, strategizing, and reaching her goals.

Grace prides herself on her work ethic and mental toughness. In general, she relishes the competitiveness of it all. It motivates her. It pushes her to be her best, or at minimum, at least better than you. You will find it difficult to outwork her because her drive is at another level. “When people say you just have to do your best, get your best time, you’re only competing against yourself. Thats BS. You’re there to compete with other people. Saying you got your best time but you only got 4th place, is just a consolation.”

And though she may not always win, she also finds fuel in the losses. “My personal mindset when you lose is it’s a challenge. I try not to dwell on it and get the best of me for the next event. It becomes a challenge for me to do better. I get angry with myself so, I challenge myself more.”

“Discipline. Love what you do. Work harder than the next person.” These are the skills swimming has given her. These are the skills that serve her daily in life, work, and elsewhere. She will admit that she is extremely competitive, but she believes it’s a healthy dose of it. And if success is the goal, of the three hard work, talent, and luck, she knows she can make her own luck. And that her hard work beats talent. “Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard.” She recently learned that quote, but she might as well have said it herself. She’s lived that most of her life. (Interview and write-up by: Zeus “Earl” Roy D. Custodio Jr.)