Alexandra Towers '20 Recruiting Profile

I doubt it is readily apparent from my 5’9” frame and my thick hair, but I am what you would call a “late bloomer.” I was tiny and completely bald until the age of two, I did not lose my first tooth until I was eight, and now, at age sixteen, I am in the largest growth spurt of my life! My journey in competitive swimming has been no different. While my peers were doing mini-meets, I was still on the soccer and softball fields. Thankfully, however, I eventually discovered the pool, hung up my cleats, and never looked back.    

People often ask how I can love a sport that for 11-12 months a year gets me out of bed before sunrise, has me in the car several hours a day traveling to a frigid pool, and defines the line between success and failure as narrowly as a one-hundredth of a second. To me, the answer is simple. Swimming has taught me so much about myself and how I want to live as a person, a student, and an athlete. For example, I have learned that happiness comes from within by having goals and working hard to achieve them. I have learned not to expect the road to be easy and without sacrifice. I have learned that to be successful, I need to push past my fear and not let disappointment stand in my way. I have learned to be competitive and confident despite my quiet demeanor and without losing the ability to be compassionate. I have learned the true value of teamwork and sportsmanship as I am compelled to reach across the lane line to congratulate a swimmer who just had the race of her life when mine was anything but. And, last but certainly not least, I have learned that the best opportunities for growth as a swimmer and a person come from adversity rather than success. 

My goal for college has always been to attend an academically rigorous school and hopefully swim for that school as well. Thanks to some unexpected turbulence in my life during my freshman year of high school, I realized that if I really wanted to swim in college, my strategy had to be more than just “hope.” In order for me to successfully fight back in the pool from a virus that affected my performance while simultaneously keeping up my grades and getting used to our family’s “new normal” due to my Dad’s unexpected stroke, I needed to be resolute about becoming a valuable contributor on a collegiate team. So, with the help of my amazing coach and the support of my family, I stayed in the pool and fought with determination and tenacity I did not even know I had. Today, I am back on track, feeling great and training harder than ever. I am excited about what lies ahead and I look forward to being a valuable contributor to a college team both in and out of the water.