David Cicero '26 Recruiting Profile

Born in Virginia, raised in Florida, Alaska, and finally here in Germany; I spent my formative swim years honing my skills swimming in the European Forces Swim League (EFSL) and, in my travels, a number of German clubs. Consistently training and competing in a 25 / 50m pool, the first opportunity to train and compete in a 25 yard pool was with NCAP returning home to Virginia after 12 years.

As a military child, regular moves and life changes have become the norm. But the resilience taught by virtue of so frequent a change in atmosphere – be it in coaching staff, schools, or climates – has served me well. Swimming has traveled with me, and the friends and mentors made matured and benefited me immeasurably. I am independent, adaptable, and as so many coaches have remarked, trainable.

Time on the road these years has taught me discipline. New teams, new challenges, and at time new hardships have taught me as much about myself as anything and the hours I have poured into training have produced results. In just the last three years, I have earned 14 gold medals at German Age Group National Championships (DJM / DKM) and have swept the backstroke (50 / 100 / 200) in successive years. I have been the high points winner (DJM) besting 1200+ competitors in total points and just this past year, beat a German age group record in the 100 backstroke; touching the wall in 00:55.71.

I am a consummate competitor, my training rigorous, but I manage my time well. My academic goals and acumen are just as focused as that of my swim and an Engineering future is ahead of me as I follow my passion for hard sciences. I am also a native German speaker, have had basic language training in French and Spanish and am looking to take my swimming, and academic, career to the next level as a collegiate athlete.