Benjamin Wainman '21 Recruiting Profile

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia in a coastal location, I was always drawn to the water. I have been swimming since the age of 7 competitively. My father was a national rowing representative and a professional coach and has been an enormous support in my swimming career. Since meeting my idol Ian Thorpe (5 x Olympic Gold medalists) at the age of 9 in a unique one on one opportunity, I was inspired by his story and it further cemented my passion. I have a love for distance events and open water swimming, I enjoy the grind! This has enabled me to develop skills with an ability to focus for long periods of time in pursuits outside of the pool. It has allowed me to establish a strong work ethic in other areas such as academics and extra-curricular activities. Heading into my final year of high school, I am committed to completing my Higher School Certificate (equivalent to SAT's) in 2021 where I hope to achieve a top-level in all my subjects. I have always had a commitment to higher education. I am passionate about the natural world and I have always known that my field of studies would encompass this passion through Veterinary Science or Zoology. Throughout my 10-year swimming career I have had obstacles I have had to overcome. Injury set-backs i.e. broken arm, knee injuries, and shoulder (sub-scapular tear) meant time out of the pool and rehabilitation. In my early teens, my delayed development stifled my ability to swim at a highly competitive level, despite training to do so. As a result, I am two years behind in my biological development. This means that my projectability is very high. These obstacles have provided me with resilience, patience, and loyalty. My teammates consider me to be the glue that galvanises the squad as I have a reputation of being well-liked amongst all of them and a driving force for the squad when it comes to hard work. I would consider myself an empathetic young man with a strong moral compass. I am a global citizen and very much into family and community. I look forward to the opportunities the American College system has to offer.