Marina Olmstead '19 Recruiting Profile

Hello, my name is Marina Olmstead.  I have been swimming for six years, two of which on my current team, Laurel Swim Association.  During my freshman year in high school, we switched to homeschooling so that I could train more in the pool.  Also, due to the location of where we live (rural MS), my dad built a one lane pool in our backyard and coaches me himself.  My dad had never coached swimming before, but we are both fast learners and have come so far.  I am eager to swim under a college coach who can take me to the next level.  Swimming is my entire life and passion, and, as a team, my dad and I have overcome great adversity as rising underdogs.  Even though I am officially on a swim team, the pool is an hour away, so I do 99% of my training with my dad.  I love my teammates, and even though I don’t get to see them very often, they are all like brothers and sisters to me.

            Outside of swimming, I want to study business and marine biology or zoology.  I am extremely interested in investments, and I even have my own LLC for buying delinquent tax notes.  I also love marine biology and hope to work in that field on topics like the efficiency of how a stingray swims or how barnacles secrete a holdfast that is insoluble and can withstand constant crashing waves.

            One day, when I find the time, I would also like to coach swimming.  Swimming has given me so much; I want to give back to it, too.  When I still went to public school, many times I would ask my friends, if there was a pool or swim team, would they swim?  And every time someone would say yes, it would frustrate me that not every kid had the same opportunities to swim as me.  I really hope to change that one day.  Swimming has become such an influential part of my life, and I want everyone to have swimming, too.