- 2023 Highlights #2
Personal Statement
To My Future Coach,
My goals and aspirations are to be the best African American swimmer, so I can help encourage other people of color to consider the sport of swimming. My grandfather was a professional athlete and my mom was a three sport athlete. My athletic genes are a gift but what's unique about me is that no one in our family ever swam. My mom who is still very athletically active didn't learn how to swim until she turned 50. She told me I was her inspiration to learn how to swimming.
What makes me a great candidate is that I use my success to earned the respect along with encouraging my team mates to be their best. I share with them how I eat and drink lots of H2O and replace my electrolytes along with getting my sleep. If I have a bad day, I will always keep focused in what we're doing that day in practice. I allow my success in the water to speak on my behalf and don't flaunt my many wins I've received. Being grateful for my ability to move fast in the water is a gift, so I never take it for granted.
What makes me different is that I am super focused on what I need to do and as my mom says "I stay in my lane". She's encouraged me to keep and maintain a positive mind set always see myself winning. My desire to be the best and strive towards having the opportunity to go to the Olympic Trials keeps me wanting to go for excellence. I'm very proud of being the first athlete to swim in our family. My grandfather played two sports in college and was drafted to Pro Football and Major League Baseball. He always gave me his professional coaching talks and was always so encouraging about doing my best. My mom called him a "Girl Dad" and he was that to me as his granddaughter. The 15th anniversary of Title 9 has given me the opportunities my mom or aunt didn't have, I will use that wisely.
I love learning, I do have some challenges that require me to stay on top of my school work and to keep focused. Some classes come easier than others but the challenged ones require me to work harder than others. I investigate anything I want to learn and find out that sometimes my parents are surprised at what I've uncovered.
Thank you for the consideration and hope to speak to you.
Jaelyn Hardy
