Emma Wise '22 Recruiting Profile

I have been in the water since I was 18 months old when my grandmother took me to Daytona beach for the first time. My family knew from that moment on I was going to be a water bug. I started swim lessons at age two, but was a late bloomer as far as swimming on a team is concerned. I didn’t start until I was 7. While I was a natural at being in the water, I was not a natural at racing, form or size. I had to work twice as hard as hard as everyone else just to keep up. I had to change coaches  multiple times until I found the one who “got me” and what I needed - hard work, dedication, and accountability.  I still work twice as hard to be as fast as those that have “natural “ talent but that is what drives me! Not just in swim, in everything I do. School doesn’t come easy for me, but I am in all honors/AP classes because I work for it. I go to practice an hour and a half away from home 6 days a week to be with the coach I am with because I want to be pushed to be the best I can be!  That is what makes me different- if what I need to get better, stronger, personally better at anything isn’t right there in front of me, I am going to search it out, find it, so I can be successful! I currently practice 6 days a week with RacerX Aquatics and coach Jim Skirboll.  He expects nothing but the best from his swimmers in and out of the pool. He sets the bar high, and I like that type of coaching, the way he pushes us. We don’t swim doubles so I know I still have a lot of room to develop my talents yet. I have only been with coach Skirboll for 2.5 years so I don’t see others as being faster than me right now, they have just had more of his coaching than me!