Ryan Knipp ‘23 Recruiting Profile

Personal Statement

I started swimming for my club, Boilermaker Aquatics, when I was about 4 years old. I never really gripped onto the idea of swimming competitively until I was about 13. I always thought of doing something else and trying to stay away from the sport, but now, the weird thing is,  is that I cannot keep myself from the sport. Anything I do, I am always making sure I still have time to swim. One thing that has really taken hold of me was when I turned 15. I was really shooting for Senior State for my first season of being a senior, but I thought of something that has stuck with me since. Senior State is such a small meet compared the Olympic Trials or even the US Open, so I immediately changed my goal and it has been with me since: I want to swim at the Olympics. Not just swimming in the warm up pool, but racing at the highest competition in the world. I think something that is going to get me there, and what makes me so great for being on a team is my leadership. I step up and take charge often, and I lead my group in the right direction to achieving goals as a team. I think something that really sets me apart from other athletes is my will to succeed. My coach can throw a challenge at me in practice and I fight until I get it. I do not like losing. I will keep doing that one rep until I get that time that the coach wants, because it is also what I want, and if I am not satisfied, I will stay in the pool until I am. I am dedicated and committed to this sport, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me in these coming years.