I’ve been swimming in summer league since I was five years old, and I’m ranked top 75 in the class of 2023 nationwide and 7th in all of California. 

I swim around 16 hours a week. Sometimes I have practice in the morning at 5:30 so I wake up at 5 and come back to get ready for school. After school, I go home and leave for practice at 4 and get home again at 6:30 to start homework. So it’s around four hours combined. I’ve definitely learned how to manage my time well and am trying to get good sleep while learning to not overwork myself so much. I push myself to do work faster and try not to have as many distractions. 

I like swimming because I enjoy pushing myself and improving. Seeing my hard work pay off makes everything worth it. Even though swimming is more of an individual sport, there’s still a team aspect, too. Travel meets are super fun because you get to go to different places without parents and make lots of memories with your friends. 

I also get scouted by colleges and get to tour colleges. I went to Indiana a few years back, I’ve been to Texas, and I’ve also been to Washington. 

Sometimes it’s mentally tough when you know you’re working your hardest and not seeing any improvements. But I think someone who’s willing to work hard and make sacrifices makes a great athlete.