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Personal Statement
Update: August 2015
On August 11th I had my first high school swim practice and I am happy to say that everything is going very well. I was concerned that I was not going to be ready for this season due to my shoulder injury, but after the first practice realized that I was stronger than the year before. The pain in my shoulder is gone and I am training harder than ever. I am super excited for this season and I cannot wait to see what my team and I can accomplish!
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Update: June 2015
I am giving the following update to show that I am committed to doing what I need to do to stay competitive.
During a club practice session in July of 2014 I injured my left shoulder doing a backstroke pull. The pain was intense and I finished that practice with one arm. The next few weeks were painful but I endured knowing that High School season was just a few weeks away. High school season came and with it opportunities to set more school records (I had set at least one record each of my freshman and sophomore seasons) and a chance to make it higher up the podium at the state meet. Despite the pain I had the most successful season of my career. I qualified both of my individual events ( 100 Back - 5th in state, 50 Free - 9th in state) and anchored the 200 Free relay which also qualified. After the conclusion of the High School season I visited the school trainer and she recommended that I get an MRI and see an orthopedic surgeon.
The MRI indicated that I had a significant tear of my left posterior labrum, and my family consulted with Dr. Michael Gordon to define treatment. Dr. Gordon is the top orthopedic shoulder surgeon in Milwaukee, and works with many professional, and college level athletes.
Dr. Gordon recommended 6 weeks of PT to strengthen and stabilize the shoulder, and allow me to still compete in the long course club season. After completion of the the PT regiment it was clear that the pain was remaining, and eventually the shoulder would need to be repaired. I made the decision to forgo the long course club season and deal with the hassle of a sling immobilizer during the second semester of school, if it gave me the best chance of being pain free during my senior high school season.
The surgery went very well and I am currently ahead of schedule in rehab. I am back in the pool doing full kick sets and using fins to reduce the strain when using arm motion. I am hopeful that I will be back to full strength by August and will be able to finish my high school career on a strong note, and prepare me for the next level.
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As far back as I can remember swimming has been my favorite thing to do. From the time I took my first swimming lesson at the age of 4, to the time I joined club swim at the age of 6, I have always felt at home in the water. I enjoy the team aspect of swimming and the social bonds that the team forms during long hours of training. My Dad says that no other sport trains as much for the amount of actual competition time. 4:00 AM wakeup calls for 2-a-day sessions are hard in the middle of winter but for some reason I don't mind getting up to swim.
I also enjoy trying to solve the puzzle of going fast. Subtle changes in technique can make a huge difference in speed and preventing injuries. I have helped my teammates improve in the past by noticing things that they were doing. That made me feel good and peaked my interest in perhaps someday being a coach.
Standardized testing is not a strong suite for me and at times my grades suffer, not because I don't know the material but because of anxiety on tests. My teachers are often perplexed. They will say "I am sure you knew the material because you were answering in class. Why did you not do well on the test" My hope is that by being a Psychologist I would be able to help others that have test issues like I do. Perhaps subtle changes in test taking technique could make a big difference in the result, just like in swim. I have not yet mastered this for myself, but I am still working on it.
I am also very interested in the arts. I have been a member of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) from 6th - 9th Grades playing both second and first chair trombone. This year I am a member of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensemble (UWAY). Both of these organizations select (by audition) from the best middle and high school musicians from south east Wisconsin. I am proud of the fact that I have been able to be successful in these organizations on such a male dominated instrument as Trombone. I have been able to maintain the practice and rehearsal schedule alongside my club and high school swim training. Visual arts is also an interest of mine. My mother has one of my original paintings hanging in her office, and has received numerous compliments on it.
I feel that I am just beginning to tap my potential in the pool. I have been swimming competitively for 8 years and I feel stronger and more committed than ever. I have seen teammates, and opponents that blew me away when I was 9 or 10, now fade and I am beating them easily. With the right coach I feel I still have the ability to become stronger and faster. I know I need to have swimming be part of my college experience since it helps me focus in the classroom. I hope to find the right college and coaching staff that will help me be successful academically, and in turn I can help them compete in the pool.
