Vanessa Rivas '14 Recruiting Profile

My name is Vanessa. I am 5'10 and 140lbs.I've been swimming for 10 years. My best events are 50 Breast, 100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 & 400 IM. I was 1st in the Province of British Columbia, Short Course Meters for 100 Breast Stroke in February 2014 with a time of 1:12.84' and 2nd in the 200 Breast Stroke with a time of 2:36.98

I recently had the opportunity to represent the Dominican Republic in the 50 & 100m breast roles in Barcelona, Spain at the World Swimming Championships. I swam 2 personal bests and hold National records in those events in the Dominican Republic.In November 2012 I received the opportunity to compete in the Dominican Republic at an international meet representing 11 countries,and came in second overall for the 15-17 year old catagory. Although I've been raised in Canada, my father is Dominican, at their National Swimming Federation had also invited me to represent their country at the CCCAN's in July 2013, in Costa Rica. Swimming is my passion and my dream is to swim in university, represent my country and one day go to the Olympics. I have overcome many challenges a swimmer, understanding that swimming is not a "Success Only" journey but one that takes perseverance, dedication, patience and believing in oneself. I challenged myself academically as well participating in a Full French Immersion Program since 5th grade (which means ALL of my courses are taught in French) and will graduate with a dual diploma in Canada, recognizing me as bilingual. I am hoping to find a school and a team where I can contribute and develop further as a swimmer, scholar and in the student body, representing myself with a high level of integrity, passion, and  leadership. I believe these qualities as well as my ongoing commitment and very hardwork ethic throughout my swimming career will make this dream a reality. I look forward to the experiences ahead of me including meeting with potential schools and coaches to explore the opportunities ahead. Thanks for looking at my profile !