|
When did you start swimming at the YWCA?
I started swimming at the YWCA as soon as I could enroll in lessons, and I joined the swim team on Greenfish when I was 5 years old.
What is your favorite Flying Fish memory?
My favorite Flying Fish memories have to be those I made with my teammates on the annual training trip, and at the Sunkissed meet in Charlotte.
On the training trip I loved bonding with the other girls and, specifically this past year, I got really close with Merrill when we were quarantined together after testing positive for the flu. At the Charlotte meet, I loved cheering on my teammates at finals and getting really amped up together for a fast meet.
What will you miss most about swimming at the YWCA?
These girls that I swam with will be what I miss most about Flying Fish. They are the most supportive and thoughtful group of people, and I truly could not ask for a better community. They made all of the hard moments, early mornings, and long practices infinitely better and I'm not sure what I will do without them.
I'll miss my lane buddies, Suz and Merrill, and I'll miss looking over and seeing Keira on a pull set, I'll miss social kicking with Talia and Liv, I'll miss kick sets with Maddie, and I'll miss every after-practice locker room chat, morning breakfast run, and moment I've had with them.
What are your plans for next year?
Next year I am headed to Trinity College where I will be continuing my academic and athletic careers.
Anything else you want to say to young swimmers, parents, coaches or anyone else?
My advice for all swimmers at the Fish is to remember the bigger picture of why you are swimming. For me, it was not just about getting faster and making cuts. It was about spending time with my favorite people and being a part of such a strong community.
I often lost sight of that purpose when I fell into a rut or wasn't swimming at the level I wanted to be at, and looking back now, I did not take advantage of every moment I had with my teammates as much as I could have.
My biggest regrets now are not the times I do and do not have, it is that I didn't take a step back and be grateful for my time on this team at every opportunity I could. And if swimming is more about the goals you have for the sport, keep working at them as hard as you can and you will achieve them no matter how unattainable they may seem. I think if my past self saw me now she would be shocked at the things I have been able to accomplish. And even when those goals continue to get bigger and grander as you progress, remember to be proud of yourself for all that you have achieved before.
I also want to say thank you to every coach at the Flying Fish who has supported me through this journey, especially Pete and Terry. And to my family, who did all they could so I could succeed. Lastly, I thank my teammates who made it all worth it.
| 
