Personal Statement
I am Dale Carnegie's biggest fan. I stumbled across his audio book How to Win Friends and Influence People under my dad's Kindle library, and I have read it three times because I have found his strategies intriguing . I tried it on my younger brother (who is a self-professed genius), and we began to get along better both as siblings and teammates. As a middle child, I've always gotten along well with other people, but now I have found that I can use that quality to lead in a positive direction.
Although it may not be my highest achievement, I would be lying to say that being 50 free state champ isn't my proudest accomplishment; however, it was more about the journey for me than the actual win. During eighth grade I had some health problems that the doctors couldn't figure out. I was vomiting several times a day, and it was affecting my performance in the pool. After months of testing at Children's Hospital, they finally figured it out, and I was able and eager to train hard. After not making an individual state cut as a new 13 year old, I fought my way back to winning the 50 free in two back to back seasons. Looking back now, I see how far I've come, not just physically, but mentally, as well. I can't wait to challenge myself further in the collegiate pool.
