Alice DeCoteau '20 Recruiting Profile

My love of swimming began at a young age and continues to grow with me as I progress through the sport. I started competitive swimming with the Saskatoon Goldfins Swim Club when I was eight years old, and continued to train and compete with the team until I was sixteen when I was given the opportunity to join the high performance-training program offered by the Regina Dolphins Swim Team. Taking the opportunity to train with this group meant that I had to leave my family and move to Regina, Saskatchewan to enter a new training program. The training with my new club was a significant step up in terms of volume and intensity and continues to challenge me every day. Through this experience, I have taken pride in my unwavering commitment to improving my results, as well as my ability to put my head down and adapt to new training programs and living arrangements.

While my devotion to swimming is resolute, I am also very serious about my academic success. Although I enjoyed success in a traditional 'bricks and mortar' school environment, when I began seventh grade I decided to transition to online distance education offered by the American educational system. Online schooling has allowed me to foster independent learning habits, time management skills, and self-discipline, characteristics that I believe are crucial to achieving success as a varsity student-athlete. It has also allowed me to fulfill all NCAA core course requirements with a 4.0 GPA, while living and training in Canada.  

Swimming at a collegiate level has been an aspiration of mine since before I began high school. I have a team-oriented personality and love contributing to a group that supports and encourages one another to be the best they can be in and out of the pool. In 2017, I received the Saskatoon Goldfins senior award for excellence in leadership and mentorship for my efforts during the 2016 season, and I was elected team captain for our provincial championships my first year competing for the Regina Dolphins. The opportunity to train and compete with a varsity team would be an honor, as well as a chance to grow as a student, athlete, and productive member of society. I have enjoyed my experience as an online student, but I look forward to once again experiencing a classroom atmosphere in a more collaborative environment.