For Kristin Wyatt, swimming isn’t just a sport, it’s a huge commitment as she struggles to balance school work, volunteering at Heartland (a therapeutic riding school), band, saxaphone lessons, and her social life.
Q: Is it hard to keep up in school and your other activities during the swim season?
A: Well sometimes I feel like I never rest and I’m just on the road constantly. But I love to swim and I love everything I do. When I feel exhausted, I just remember how much I like what I do and I keep going.
Q: What are some advantages of being on the swim team?
A: Everything. The girls are amazing and we’re all like a big family. I especially like the meets, though. There is something exciting about the build-up to the races. And the atmosphere just pumps me up and gets me ready to go.
Q: What is your favorite swim stroke?
A: I really like the Butterfly. I think it’s really unique and it kind of has a style of its own. Something about the movement fits. It calms my nerves a lot.
Q: What do you think of the 6 AM practices?
A: Well, I’m not really a morning person, so it can be hard to get up so early sometimes. I have noticed that we have been improving our times, though, with all of the practice. It’s encouraging to see the effects of hard work..
Q: Do you think you will continue to swim in the future and throughout high school?
A: Yes! I used to swim when I was younger and since my sister joined Southwest’s swim team last year, I just decided to try out. I love to swim and I think we have a really good program going here. I do a lot of stuff, but I don’t do things I don’t want to do. And swimming is something I plan on doing for a while.
Wyatt is a member of the varsity swim team and avidly participates in events.