Ida Kozlowicz '24 Recruiting Profile

Unlike many other swimmers who are looking to swim in college, I have not been swimming competitively since I was six or seven, and I believe that I have a unique outlook on the sport because of that. I had been in swimming lessons since I was eight months old, but when I was first introduced to the junior swim team at Lifetime Fitness Club, I was decidedly uninterested. Then, when I was eight, I saw a synchronized swim team practicing across the pool. I immediately knew the sport was for me, and that was the beginning of my six years with the sport. I gave my all to synchronized swimming, even competing on the national stage. But at 12 I re-entered the world of swimming with the Hopkins Hurricanes, my local club team. I quickly moved up in the team, participating in all three 11-12 tiers in one season. That season, where I went from knowing no one to gaining some of my closest friendships, reestablished my love of the sport. I was now very heavily committed to both of my favorite sports, and after I did both for my eighth and (covid) ninth grade years, I knew I needed to drop one. Leaving the sport I had loved since I was nine was difficult, but my love for swimming has only grown since my 12-year-old season, so I know it was the right choice. Starting to compete in swimming at 12, rather than six or seven like most of my teammates, has given me a unique perspective on the sport, and my focus on multiple sports on high levels has added to that perspective. Being able to compete at high levels in a sport outside of swimming helped me understand elite competition, and synchro specifically helped me understand teamwork and body awareness. In addition to helping me with general competition skills, synchro gave me an understanding of the water beyond what one gets from regular lap swimming. Synchro teaches you how the water reacts to movement, and how important it is to have good form and pay attention to make the water work for you. Going in to swimming with this strong base, and at a much mature age than many of my teammates, has helped me understand my successes and failures, helped me enjoy the sport especially when it is difficult, and helped me continue to strive for bigger and better things.