Gabriella Werner '19 Recruiting Profile

I've had many influences throughout my life that have changed who I am and have made me the person I am today. The most influential ones would probably be the times I have witnessed someone else achieve great things, because it inspires me to always try my best and continue working hard so I can experience the feeling of achieving greatness just like them.

When I first started swimming I had a much older neighbor who was a high school swimmer. I saw her working hard to meet her goals. Ultimately, she was a well ranked high school swimmer who moved on to swim in college. Until this point I had tried several sports, but didn't love any of them. At the age of 8 I got in the pool and never looked back.

In seventh grade I joined my high school swim team. At first I wasn't sure if I really fit in with all these girls that were juniors and seniors. But because I was a club swimmer, I moved straight to varsity. Many of these older girls I swam with in club, although I didn't really know them. They, however, knew I had potential and had more confidence in me than I did. They pushed me daily at practice and helped me set and reach my goals the first couple of years. I really appreciate all of their support.

Last year our team had dropped in numbers and we didn't have as many experienced swimmers. It was very easy to sit back at practice and take it easy, since they were scaled back to accommodate the masses. After a couple of weeks I realized that I wasn't taking it serious and my performance was showing. My attitude was not as spunky as usual. I quickly learned that I am much happier when I have like minded people around me who will push me to my limits.

It was at that time that I realized that I had gone from being one of the young followers to one of the leaders on my high school team. Along with a few of my teammates we started putting in extra time working on starts and turns and relay exchanges. We were managing our own work outs and it was up to us to get this team motivated. By the end of the season I had set more records than I thought I ever would and we were the best team in our schools history.

Both swimming and school are important to me. I like to be involved with my community, whether that is the classroom, the pool, or church. Academically, I have always wanted what is best for me. I want to do well at everything and believe in always putting my best foot forward. I'm looking for a college that I can be involved in multiple clubs and organizations. I want to have upperclassmen who will push me to my limits, who I can chase and learn from and someday transition to becoming a leader. I hope that you are considering me for the incoming class of 2019.