As a child I was frequently described as a newborn gazelle, giraffe, or any other creature renowned for its clumsiness. Needless to say I was the kid who consistently hurt themselves while completing basic tasks. This ungainliness was the demise of many sports careers for me. Gymnastics, tennis, ballet, and even cheer camp proved futile for my younger self.

In an effort to preserve my health and sanity my parents made the wise decision to place me in a time consuming, non-impactful activity. My swimming career was born and so were many aspects of my personality. Swimming was a prime outlet for my competitive nature, perfectionist tendencies, and extraneous energy.

Although swimming is merely an activity that I partake in, it has significantly shaped me as person and altered the course of my life. It gave me the opportunity to experience failure, the chance to drive towards a goal, and also determined much of my foreseeable future. Swimming is actually what brought me to the beautiful town of Athens.

I always thought I would find myself in a new state and environment once my days in highschool concluded but the reputation of excellence for UGA swim and dive lured me back to my home state to continue my education and training.