Meet the Florida Daughter who holds multiple world titles and records in water skiing
What does Regina Jaquess love most about water skiing? It is not the feeling she gets when she nails a jump that sends her nearly 200 feet through the air. It is not the 14 gold medals she has won at the Pan American Games and the Water Ski World Championships. It is not even that she holds the women’s world record for slalom skiing. What she loves most about the sport is the community.
Ms. Jaquess, who is a professional water skier, holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and owns Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. Water skiing has helped keep her tight-knit family close, she said. She has formed and maintained close friendships with water skiers all over the world, said the member of the West Florida Chapter, Destin, Fla.
Her employees—and customers—encourage her to aim high. And her water-skiing sponsors appreciate that she is a well-rounded athlete, capable of setting and breaking her own world records while also running a successful business.
Those relationships are one of the reasons Ms. Jaquess is able to be an elite athlete and full-time business owner and pharmacist. “It is definitely my support system that allows me to get the impossible done,” Ms. Jaquess said.
A Balancing Act
Ms. Jaquess has a lot to balance as a pro athlete who regularly places first in three events.
Slalom requires her to navigate successfully around six buoys as the length of ski rope gets incrementally smaller. In the jump event she rides over a ramp that launches her into the air. The trick event gives her two 20-second passes to complete a series of complicated moves, including flips and spins, while holding the line with either one hand or a single foot.
It is rare for athletes to compete at high levels in all three of these events because they require different skills and follow different training regimens. “It can be tough to be at a slalom-only event competing against skiers who have been training only in slalom,” she said. “It can feel like a disadvantage, but I firmly believe that all three play into each other, and that makes me a better skier overall.”
Good relationships and crossover training aside, this balancing act also takes a lot of hard work, dedication and excellent time management skills. “I don’t train as much as I would like, but I make it work, and I make each session count,” Ms. Jaquess said.
Competition season runs from April through October, with most tournaments (except the annual world championship and the quadrennial Pan American Games) happening on the weekends.
The offseason has her doubling down on training, which requires time not only on the lake, but also in the gym. “It can look so effortless, but water skiing is a very athletic sport,” she said. “It engages muscles you don’t even realize you have. In the offseason, I definitely walk around sore because of the tough training sessions in the gym.”
The effort has been worth it. Last year, Ms. Jaquess finished the season undefeated. And even though she has achieved so much, her gut says she is capable of more: “I’m definitely going to keep pushing. I have the support. I have the drive. I set a goal for myself and then I strive to exceed it.”
