Personal Statement
Like every swimmer seeking an opportunity to swim at the collegiate level, I LOVE to swim. However, unlike most others, I was an EXCEPTIONALLY late bloomer. Coming from a family of college athletes and professional baseball players, initially I played other sports. During my freshman year of high school (at the ripe old age of 14), I fell in love with the pool and have never looked back - despite the early dawn wake-up calls and almost 2 hour round-trip drive 6 days per week to the pool (frequently 2 times per day). I consider myself a true diamond in the rough and believe the sky is the limit for me.
Starting so late in this sport really made me second guess my decision to swim, and despite being an underdog in the truest sense of the word, my fierce determination, persistence, commitment, and strong will have enabled me to conquer both the physical and mental challenges of swimming. Despite needing to work 10 times harder than my teammates who had been swimming for many years, I was able to overcome my limitations and imperfections and not be dictated or defined by them. Academically I have always been successful, but with the very real demands of swimming competitively fully realized, coupled with the schedule I keep (heavy class workload, extracurricular clubs and activities, and volunteering), I sometimes feel overwhelmed. When this happens, I just focus on the struggles I overcame in the pool and it gives me a renewed sense of purpose and reminds me to keep my eye on the prize. My goal is to wind up on a team where I can make a true and immediate difference both in and out of the pool. I am open to all opportunities and feel truly blessed to be in a position to embark down the collegiate swimming road. I can no longer imagine my life without swimming.