Meredith Gioia '18 Recruiting Profile

Since a young age I have been a competitive, driven athlete in and out of the pool. Through middle school I competed for club teams in lacrosse, soccer and swimming excited to bring my skills to a high school level.  In high school I have been a part of the varsity swim and soccer teams.  Although I love soccer it will never surpass the love I have for being in the water.  In both sports I have overcome adversity that has made me a stronger person who is able to communicate and work through any challenge I face especially in the classroom. Pushing through 100 minutes of double overtime as a defender in soccer may not seem challenging, but I proved to myself the amount of grit and competitiveness I actually have as we shut out a top team. These qualities can push me from the bottom 10th of swimmers to the top 5.

As the oldest on the swim team as a junior I have had to step in a leadership position and help younger talented swimmers become part of our family. My parents and coaches, for all sports, have taught me that no matter what if I work hard enough I can achieve my dreams. I have always dreamed of becoming part of a collegiate swim team to further strengthen abilities in that can benefit me in the classroom because academics is a large part of my college choice.  I want to be an important asset to a swim team family and improve all of my events especially the 100 freestyle (54) and 100 backstroke (1:01).  My goals for the future in school include my interests in science and math and possibly pursuing a career in physical therapy.