Henry Lipson '21 Recruiting Profile

My name is Henry Lipson. I am 16 years old and in the graduating class of 2021 at the Urban School of San Francisco. I currently swim for The Olympic Club of San Francisco. I began swimming competitively at seven years old, consistently making junior olympic and far western time standards and placing in those competitions and traveling to compete in regionals.   I swam year-round, practiced every day, and competed frequently. 

At the beginning of high school, I took a break from swimming to focus on my academics and participate in school sports.  I took up crew with a local club team but eventually realized that my true passion and talent is swimming. I rejoined The Olympic Club Swim Team in 2019 and revived my love for competitive swimming for my high school and club teams. I am currently nominated for the Junior Olympian of the Year.

 This past year I dropped 2.92 seconds in my 50 freestyle and 6.76 seconds in my 100 freestyle. Although Covid-19 has temporarily stopped swim meets and officially recorded times, I have continued to improve my times during quarantine. When pools were not available in March, I took advantage of open water swims in the San Francisco Bay twice a week and dry-land workouts every day. From June to the present, I practice in a pool five days a week. Even though my official recorded times have stayed the same, I am only growing faster and stronger.  I have grown three inches since March, and I am projected to grow more.  

For me, swimming is equal parts a sport and a community. Being part of a team community has been impactful, and I hope to continue being part of the college's swimming community. 

Overall, I would make a great addition to a collegiate team because I am both a motivated and competitive swimmer with lots of future growth and potential, a great team player and a passionate learner with a desire to expand my knowledge and skill.