Makarius Attia '18 Recruiting Profile

Having entered swimming later in life I believe that I value the sport more than my fellow swimmers.  I chose swimming, it wasn't chosen for me by parental influences or familial obligation.  I swim best with ultra hard swim practices and associated dry land workouts.  By competing in an individual sport I hold complete responsibility for my success and by embracing this responsibility, I have been able to increase my focus in academics and athletics.  I am a far better student when swimming, perhaps due to the balance of physical and mental challenge or maybe the need for intense time management. I never thought to swim in college until just recently when my competitive times kept dropping. My academic success relies on my ability to retain information quickly and understand advanced concepts particularly in math and science.  I am different from my peers in that my relaxation and free time is spent in creative pursuits. My two happy places are in the pool and in my garage workshop.  I design and create my own skateboards, and metal working artistic mobiles using a variety of different tools. Presently I am working on an artistic mobile for the Art Festival and building my own wooden surfing longboard with a redwood top. 

My coaches all say that I am "very coachable." I take this to mean that I voraciously seek advice and attempt to utilize it quickly. Additionally, I am respectful of my peers and try to be supportive even when not swimming my races.  My family genetic pool is very diverse and with the combination of African American, Caucasian, and Asian heritages, I have deep respect for all racial origins and genders.  I feel that I have much potential particularly with the expertise and support of college coaches.  Even small improvements in my technique are making huge differences in my times.  It's not just hard work with me, it is the intellectual ability to understand the nuances of coaching advise and the ethical boundaries to keep academically and socially focused.