Personal Statement
My name is Landon Adamo and I have been swimming competitively since I was 9 years old. I dream of swimming at the next level and believe I can succeed at the college level if given the opportunity. I am a three-year varsity athlete for Westmoore High School’s Swim Team and Cross Country Team. My junior year will be one I always remember because it was last summer that I made the very personal and difficult decision to step away from Cross Country and focus entirely on my swimming career. I was very proud to make it to State my Sophomore year but I wanted more. The hard work paid off because our team had a strong year and I hit my personal goals...placing in the top 5 in both of my individuals at Regionals and then making the finals cuts in both events at State. I want more though. I'm excited to enter my senior year as the team captain and lead us back to State. It will be a competitive season but I know we will be up to the challenge!
I try to give back to my school any chance I get, which is why I am so active in student clubs. I was elected as an Officer for Westmoore High School’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes club. I have served as a Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Senator for Student Council and I will serve again my Senior year. I am a proud member of National Honor Society and very active in our Native American Student Association. I'm also very active in my church as a member of our sound team as well as a leader for our youth group. I serve as a youth mentor for our VBS camps during the summer as well as for our Kids in Ministry activities throughout the year.
My introduction to the sport of swimming I believe is a story worth telling, as this sport provided me so much more than physical health. My story is personal but one that I am proud of and not ashamed to share. As a young student in elementary school, I always struggled with my assignments and always seemed a step behind my friends. I was a very shy person, but as you can imagine my confidence was very low as a result of this. After testing and counseling we learned that I had an auditory processing disorder. I was blessed to have family and teachers that believed in me and helped me begin the journey of working through this. Luckily, a suggestion given to my family was to look into the sport of swimming. I know for my family this seemed to be an odd suggestion at the time. Swimming obviously is seen as a wonderful activity to stay physically fit, however very little is ever discussed about the emotional and mental benefits gained from swimming. After my swim test, I think we understood why we were there. The moment I got in the water, I felt at ease. Outside distractions went away and I could easily focus on my training. I noticed after a while I had better control of my focus and felt more at peace instead of anxious all the time.
Swimming changed my life. Swimming established a sense of self-confidence that I truly believe I never would have achieved otherwise. Swimming taught me discipline, hard work, sacrifice, teamwork, respect, and most importantly self-confidence. All of these skills transferred over into other parts of my life and made me a better person. Never could I have dreamed that I would be in AP classes and in National Honor Society…but I am and I have swimming to thank for that.
I approach everything in my life with passion and determination. I’m not only dedicated to personally achieving success in the pool, but also helping my team and teammates succeed. I believe I would be a valuable member of your team and I would hope to eventually be looked to as a good leader for the younger athletes. Thank you so much for your consideration.
Landon Blake Adamo