I wouldn’t be who I am today without: Swimming. Swimming has allowed me the opportunity to travel the world. There are not many eighteen year olds that could say they have traveled Puerto Rico, Missouri, Minnesota, and California. I was lucky enough to be able to travel around the world to compete at different competitions. Swimming gave me the opportunity to pursue my dream of competing at the Division One level. At Colgate University, I was training at the highest level, learning a lot about myself as I was constantly being pushed to my limits. I met many of my lifelong friends though swimming in high school, on my club team, and in college. My swimming career has allowed me the opportunity to coach both on the high school level and collegiate …show more content…
The pool quickly became my second home, and has been ever since. From the time when I was five, there hasn’t been many days that I was not in or within a close proximity of a chlorine-infused pool. I started my swimming career as a summer team swimmer at the Hasbrouck Heights Swim Club, after many torturous swim lessons at my local YMCA. After my first year on the summer team, my coach had spoken to my mom about wanting me join a local club swim team. At first, my mom was very hesitant, as she was a swimmer herself and knew exactly what she would be getting both of us into. Even knowing that she would need to wake up at the crack of dawn to drive me to practice, spend countless of hours a day in a pool, and watch me race for as little as twenty-one seconds, she signed me …show more content…
I could have attended my local high school, which did not have a swim team, or an all-girls private Catholic high school approximately 23 minutes from home. After a long and tedious decision making process, I had decided to attend the all-girls Catholic school, Immaculate Heart Academy, also known as IHA. Attending IHA allowed me the chance to be a part of the best girl high school swim team in the state of New Jersey. During my four years at IHA, I was a part of two winning state title teams, and had the chance to swim with some of the best high school swimmers in New
I have been swimming year-round on a club team since the age of six and when I was younger improving came relatively easily. However, around age 13, I hit a training plateau despite having the same work ethic and focus that I had previously had. I grew to despise swimming and at points I wanted to quit. However, unlike Junior, I had role models and mentors who were positive influences on me and who helped me to overcome this challenge. Primarily, I had several of my best friends on the team who convinced me to keep persevering and to not simply quit the sport that I loved so much just because I was no longer dropping time. For example, every day I watch my close friends Lizanne and Cate come to practice and give it their all, regardless of the numerous injuries and medical issues that plagued their swimming career; their positive outlook and dedication motivated me to try even harder than I had before. Moreover, I had by parents, something that Junior did not have; my parents were always there to support me after yet another disappointing meet reminding me that “you get five minutes for a win and five minutes for a lost”. My parents where my voice of reason as I tried to work through my issues; they were always there to encourage me, but also were very honest with me
Ever since I was a young student, teachers knew that I was not a normal kid. These teachers saw qualities in me that they could not see in many students at that age level. They saw a child who had a profound love to know more and had the ambition of a decorated Olympic swimmer to learn not just the material that was being taught but why it is being taught and how I can I use this information to make people’s lives better. Fast-forward to today, and you can clearly see that not much has changed except my determination to learn and my love to help others has done nothing but expanded.
As a child I was not in to many sports or involved in school activities. Going through high school I figured out that being involved in a sport or a school club would make my high school experience better. The first and only sport I chose to do was track. Track changed my whole high school experience and life. I learned to never give up, and it kept me out of trouble throughout my four years of high school.
I approach the rugged mountain, shielding my body from the nasty frost nipping at my exposed skin. The sun ever so lightly peeks over the horizon as I strap on my skis, lightly dusted with a thin layer of fresh snow. Although my body shivers unceasingly, I feel comforted by the surges of adrenaline pumping through my body. I skate briskly toward the ski lift to secure my place as the first person in line. On the slippery leather seats of the lift my mind races, contemplating the many combinations of runs I can chain together before I reach the bottom of the hill. I arrive at the peak of the mountain and begin building up speed. Floating on the soft snow, weaving through the trees and soaring over rocks, I feel as if I am flying. The rush of adrenaline excites me. I feed on it. I thrive on it. I am ski; I live for speed; I am an evolving technique and I hold a firm edge.
My activities in school helped me as a person because I can show leadership skills. I can lead by example, in a positive way. In Phelps Ace High School, I became captain and uphold numerous positions in sports. By being captain of numerous sports(volleyball, basketball, softball, flag football), it helped me learn how to balance homework and sports. It taught me how to have the self-control to my problems with people because many of the sports required a team effort.
In my life, I had not had the chance to be a part of something that influenced me much, until I joined football my freshman year in high school. Joining football was perhaps the most devoted and wisest thing that I did because shortly after joining I began to see changes for the better, and from then I saw the person that I wanted to be in the future. In other words, it shaped the person that I am today and will be for the rest of my life. Not only did the sport influence me but it also equipped me with a new mindset that affects me today in my decision making skills, time management and many other beneficial life virtues. I believe that these virtues will bring me success in the nearest future because I feel confident about myself and I feel more in control in my life through my actions, all thanks to simply joining what seemed to be a “regular” extracurricular.
Each game, my passion grew. Each team, new memories and lifelong friends were made. Sports sometimes make me feel disappointment and at loss; but it taught me to be resilient to a lot of things, like how to thrive under pressure and come out on top. Being the team captain of my high school’s football and lacrosse team showed me how having a big responsibility to bring a group together to work as one is compared to many situations in life. Currently playing varsity football, varsity lacrosse, and track I take great pride in the activities I do. Staying on top of my academics, being duel enrolled at Indian River State College, working three nights a week, and two different sport practices after school each day shaped my character to having a hard work
I knew that joining the team in my junior year of school meant that I would never be the best at it, but I would try my hardest regardless of that. Being part of the team gave me something to work on everyday aside from school work. Each day, whether during practice, or a competition, I was constantly faced with different challenges to overcome, both physical or mental. These challenges helped me to grow as an individual and as a member of the team. One of my biggest accomplishments through swim was becoming a NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete my senior year. Other experiences, such as work and travel have also shaped me as person. Working, and earning money has taught me a great deal about money management as I save up for college, and has given me a look into the responsibilities of a working individual. Working has taught me the importance of communication and networking inside and outside the work space. As for traveling, taking a trip to Spain and France my senior year truly broadened my horizons. It was an amazing opportunity to grow and learn about the rich culture these countries possess; it also has made me begin to think seriously about opportunities to study abroad during my time at
iving up my week and weekend nights for swim practice was something I was used to by the time I started high school. Swimming, was my calling, and with that came many sacrifices. Practices were everyday, Monday through Friday and sometimes on Saturdays, and consisted of countless sets of sprinting, kicking and pulling. The only thing that kept us stable during practice was counting down the time on the clock, “Just thirty more minutes, and I can relax for another twenty hours.” From there I would go home in time to shower and finish homework. Finishing what I needed to do before midnight was considered luck. The cycle repeated itself as I would get up the next day and do it again. However, there are many other aspects to this sport besides
I have done swim for all four years of high school with this last year being on of the captain of the team. I took the role of swim captain very seriously. I tried to plan as much activities as I could to bring our horizon swim team together. I lead our team and helped the other swimmers when I could and I like to think I did a pretty good job at being captain this year. I had also done track for three years. I was on the distance team all three years, I may not have been the best runner but I had a lot of fun being apart of the wonderful track team and supporting my team mates.
Have you ever had a moment in time that seems like minutes or hours even though it was only a few seconds? Have you ever seen everything before you play out in slow motion, where you are aware of everything around you, yet not knowing what was going on? I have, and as I look back on it, I feel very blessed and protected. On March 21, 1987, I decided to take a little swim in our swimming pool and almost drowned.
I wake up, my heart pounding as if I’d just run a marathon. My mind is dizzy with confusion as I try remembering what has happened. Where is my sister and where am I? My whole body feels weighed down and I start to shiver as I try to free myself from this suffocating breach. I struggle to breathe as solid flakes fall over my face.
When I was in high school, I achieved the Most Valuable Swimmer award two different years. The two years I received this award was my first year on the swim team and my last year on the swim team. This achievement is important to me because it was the only thing I have done besides academics that showed me that if I worked hard and was dedicated there would be something to show for it. I have always been so focused on school, but swim allowed me to go outside of my comfort zone and talk to people. What pushed me the most was that swim is both an individual and team sport and I loved both aspects of it. I am able to work well alone and in a group and that is really what helped me to achieve this award. The first year I got this award it gave
Swimming has been my whole life, since I jumped into the pool for the very first time. I loved every aspect of swimming from the adrenaline running through my body during my races and getting to spend even more time with my friends and my sister, and the stress of big meets coming up in the schedule. Except everything didn't go according to plan after the first day of school when I got home and I saw my parents sitting by my sister on the coach and my sister was crying.
Describe any small or significant changes experienced during and after this process. Did this project help address your stress?