October 2014 Swimmers of the Month

 

Ryan Rounds (GREEN Crest 1)

 Ryan Rounds has been working very hard in practice, and has been very driven and focused. Not the loudest of swimmers, he lets his actions in the pool do the talking for him. He has been pushing himself, and his lane-mates to become better with each practice. His favorite meet this year has been the PVS November Open, where he achieved all best times. His favorite stroke is breaststroke, because “I like to shoot and pull.” To prepare for swim meets, Ryan stretches to make sure his muscles are loose and relaxed so he can swim his best. Ryan is a competitive swimmer, and one of the reasons he likes being on Blue Wave is because it makes him a better, faster swimmer. He says the challenging part about being a swimmer is learning how to push yourself. Well Ryan, just remember what motivates you! One of Ryan’s goals this year is to work harder, and improve all his strokes. Outside of swimming, is there anything else that you do Ryan? “I also play hockey.” Cool! Just can’t seem to get away from the water? Whether it’s liquid or solid, Ryan’s got to be on the water. What else do you like to do? “Ride my bike, and play outside.” And if you were an animal, what would you be? “A dog, so I could run around and play.” A dog would be fun. Tell you what man, keep up this great balance of fun and hard work, and we’re looking at a very successful sports career! Just so we get to know some more about you, what’s your favorite food? “Pizza!” What would you do if you won the lottery? Buy pizza? “I would go to Disney World!” Great choice. And finally Ryan, what other accomplishments are you proud of that you’ve done outside swimming? “A triathlon.” Wow! Thank you Ryan for letting us know a little about yourself. Again, we are so proud of the hard work you are putting into the pool! Keep having fun with it! Congratulations on being one of our Blue Wave Swimmers of the Month! #SOTMRyan

Giada Fassacesia (TYPHOONS 2)

This is Giada’s first year to the team, and she has brought a big name along with a big personality. She has done well listening, and being a positive influence in her squad. She’s had a great season, so we wanted to get to know her a bit better. So Giada, we swimmers want to get to know the real Giada. What is something we may not know about you? “They probably don’t know that I have two little sisters that I love very much, Gemma who is 2, and Giuliet who is 5 months old.” That is wonderful! I am sure you are an amazing big sister! What is your favorite food? “Bananas, kale chips, grapes, and cookies and cream ice cream!” That all sounds fantastic! You could make a killer ice cream sundae with all those ingredients. Well, besides the kale chips. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do? “I would buy a mansion with an indoor, heated pool and also build the coolest playground for everyone to use and have fun!” Well, when that happens, you will have to invite the team over for a party! Well Giada, you have been doing really well at Blue Wave. what are some things you like about being part of the team? “I like being on Blue Wave because I have the best coaches ever, and have learned so much since I started. My times have dropped a lot since I started the team. I also have made many great new friends!” We’re so happy to hear that Giada! What has been your favorite meet this year? “The SNOW Pumpkin Invitational, because I got to swim a 100 IM for the first time in a meet!” That is always an exciting event! What events do you like to swim the most? “100 IM, 25 fly, and 50 free.” Great events. How to you prepare to race? Anything special you do to get ready for big competition? “I stretch and relax before every swim meet, and eat a healthy meal so that I have energy during the meet.” Good advice. What do you feel is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “Trying to beat my times at every meet.” That is difficult! But the more you practice, and push yourself to faster speeds, times in meets will drop. Do you have any goals for this year? “One of my goals is doing the 200 IM. I will achieve this goal by practicing a lot throughout the year.” Well, you have the right idea! Swimming is a sport that certainly takes a lot of work, but it is one of the most rewarding sports out there. Outside of swimming, what do you like to do? “I like to jump on the trampoline and go roller-skating!” Those both sound really fun! Have you accomplished anything outside of swimming you would like to tell us about? “I have been in Girl Scouts for three years and have done a lot of community service projects to help others.” That is very inspiring and impressive! Keep being a positive influence on the world Giada! Last question, then we will let you get back to your trampoline. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? “A dolphin because they swim very fast, and are so cute!” Sounds like you and dolphins have plenty in common! Thank you Giada for telling us about yourself. Congratulations on being one of our Swimmers of the Month! #SOTMGiada 

 

Valarie Chenault (BLUE Crest)

Valarie Chenault, better known to many on the team as “Raptor,” is one of our Blue Crest swimmers who has stepped up, both in and out of the pool. She has been a great leader, and has been pushing herself to new heights in her swimming, her dryland, and her focus. The coaches are all very happy to see her rise up to be an ambassador for the team covenants. We were able to get to know a little about what drives “Val-oceraptor” to seek excellence in the sport. So Valarie, what are you most excited for this year? “The November Travel meet! I get to have a ‘sleepover’ with my friends and get to have a fun activity.” I am sure it will be amazing! What are your favorite events to swim? “The 50 and 100 fly, the 50, 100, and 200 back. My favorite events are back and fly, and I get good times in those events.” Fantastic! How do you best prepare for those events and meets? “I eat a good dinner (or breakfast), then I make sure I have snacks for the meet, and then I get my stuff ready for the next day, or that night.” It is always important to be prepared. Good thinking! Now, you have been swimming for a long time. What do you think is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “Not getting the goal time you want.” That is a tough one. We don’t always get our best times in every event, and it can be hard to recover after being disappointed. That’s why we try to remind ourselves that as long as we do our best, we didn’t fail! And, there is always something positive to find in any situation. It helps us learn and grow. What are some things you like about being on Blue Wave? “I like getting to know people I don’t see at school.” That is a cool part. We’re all a team here! What is one of your goals for this year? “One of the goals I want to achieve is to get to champs.” Great goal! How are you going to achieve that? “I am going to get there by working hard in the meets and practice.” That’s the key. Keep it up Val! Besides swimming, is there anything your teammates might not know about you? “I used to dance.” That explains your great coordination! What is your favorite food? “Raviolis, and my dad’s chocolate chip cookies!” Well that just sounds delicious. Your dad will have to make some for the team! If you won the lottery, what would you do? “Buy a big house with secret doors and tunnels!” I love the creativity. I will have to hire your architect after that happens. If you were an animal, what would you be? A velociraptor perhaps? “I would be a snow fox because I like the snow, and I think foxes move nimbly like cats.” Cool! Outside of swimming, what do you like to do? “Listen to music and hang out with my friends.” And what accomplishments are you most proud of, besides swimming? “I got certified for scuba diving when I was only 11 years old.” Well, you will have to take us scuba diving some time! Last question Valarie: WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?? Swim swim swim swim swim swim swim! Thank you for letting us know a little about yourself Valarie! Keep working hard, and keep being a great teammate! Congratulations on being one of our Blue Wave Swimmers of the Month! #SOTMValarie

September 2014 Swimmer of the Month

Megan Helge (TYPHOONS)

Megan has just recently joined Blue Wave, and we are so happy to have her! Every practice she brings a smile, and is always excited to be there. She is positive, and works to better herself in the pool. She often tells the coaches what she wants to accomplish that day in practice, and it’s great to see such enthusiasm! We got to ask Megan a few questions about herself, so that her teammates may get to know her a bit better. Her favorite meet prior to being on Blue Wave was with her summer team, when her relay team won. She likes relays, and finds them fun and exciting! Her favorite stroke to swim is breaststroke, because “It’s relaxing and you aren’t working as hard as in butterfly.” Don’t worry Megan, we coaches will be sure to help you make your butterfly easier. We’ll just have to do more of it, haha. In preparation for a swim meet, what do you do to get ready? “I stretch my legs and arms, and pretend to do my strokes.” What is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “When you learn new strokes, or how to get faster in your strokes.” Very true, it’s hard to change your stroke. It takes focus, and determination to become a better swimmer. Swimmers are constantly looking for ways to get better, and even though it is physically challenging, it is also exciting to know that you are enhancing your strokes! What are some things you like about Blue Wave? “I love my coaches. I like how they teach us. They make sure we are almost perfect in our strokes.” That’s the goal! Great technique leads to great swimming! What are some of your goals for the year? “I want to be good at butterfly, and I will achieve that goal by practicing.” Yes you will Megan! So besides swimming, we asked Megan what else she liked to do, and we learned some interesting things about her. She loves needle felt, knitting, sewing, reading, drawing, and GIMP (had to Google that last one! It’s pretty cool!). Megan loves ice cream, and if she won the lottery she would donate the money to the animal shelter. She is a preschool helper at her school, and if she got to be an animal, she would be a dog! Megan, thank you for sharing with us a bit about yourself! Keep up the good work, and congrats on being the Blue Wave Swimmer of the Month!

 

Alana Delisle (GREEN Crest 1)

Alana Delisle has come back this September with some amazing work ethic! She has been pushing herself harder in the pool, and her effort during practice is fantastic! In order to get an idea about what drives Alana to put in all this effort, we asked her a few questions. Alana, what is one of your goals for the year? “My goal for this year is to make it to Green Crest 2, and get my toes to flex in breaststroke.” What is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “For me, it’s not stopping, doing 200’s, and flexing my feet in breaststroke.” Well, sounds like you definitely have specific ideas on what you need to work on! That’s great! I am sure you will be ready for any upcoming meets. Tell me, what has been your favorite meet and why? “The last SNOW Pumpkin meet, because I think I got first place in butterfly.” Congrats! So you must like butterfly? “I REALLY like butterfly, and freestyle of course. When I am doing them, I think hard about what I am doing.” That is great Alana! Great swimmers always do their best to focus on making their strokes the best. What is something you do to prepare for a meet? “I relax, and warm up, and practice my strokes and streamline.” Always make those basics good! What are some things you like about being on Blue Wave? “I like how it is competitive and how we talk about being positive. I also really like the coaches.” Positivity is an important character to have. When you bring a positive attitude into any situation, you can immediately make a difference in helping to make the situation better. Aside from swimming, what are some things you do other than swimming? “I pitch in softball, I like karate, and I like doing advanced math.” Wow! That is fantastic. What is your favorite food? “Steak, chicken, and hamburgers!” Yummy! I quite agree with you there. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? “I would buy an indoor pool, use my money for the swim-a-thon, and donate more to other charities. Oh, and buy a race car!” Sounds like a great mix of ideas Alana! What are some things you have accomplished outside swimming? “I am very proud of how good I’ve been getting at math, and how my pitching has improved.” Never stop learning Alana! Last question: If you were an animal, what would you be and why? “I would like to be a fish, shark, or snake.” Well Alana, I am glad to hear you have so many great ideas! Thank you for being such a positive person at practice, and congratulations on being Swimmer of the Month!

Allie Howard (GREEN Crest 1)

Allie Howard has been crushing it in practice! She has come back this fall, full of fresh motivation. Her focus in practice has brought about some great work in the water. A very bubbly swimmer, we asked Allie a few questions so her teammates could get to know her better. So Allie, you’ve come back to Blue Wave full of fire, and have been blowing up the water. What do you find is the most challenging part of being a swimmer? “Always doing your best no matter how tired you are.” Very true, the best know how to push their limits. What are some goals you have for this season? “One of my goals is to get more B times and A times. I think if I work really hard in practice and meets, I will achieve that goal.” Anything of value to a person is always worth working hard for. What has been your favorite meet this year? “ The Pentathlon because it was fun swimming 5 events in a row.” Always up for the challenge Allie! Great! What's your favorite event? “Breaststroke, because breaststroke is my best/favorite stroke to swim.” So to prepare for meets, what do you do? “I pack my bag, warm up, and eat a good breakfast.” Very smart. Be sure and get all your carbs, proteins, and vitamins in! What do you like about being on Blue Wave? “I like being on Blue Wave because the coaches are nice, funny, and encouraging.” Well thank you! We’re on Blue Wave because the kids are nice, funny, and encouraging too! Plus we all like being around the water! Besides swimming, what do you do? “Crafts, play with friends, and other sports.” What is something about yourself that your teammates may not know? “I need to work on my kicking A LOT.” Haha, I think everyone feels the same way. What’s your favorite food? “Cereal.” A breakfast gal I see. Be sure and stay away from Cookie Crisp before meets! If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do? “I would go to my mom and yell ‘I WON THE LOTTERY!!! Let’s go to the store!!!’” I would do the same thing. What is something you are proud of? “I am most proud of doing other sports, and not just swimming because it keeps me healthy and active.” It is important to keep a healthy lifestyle. Good for you! Last question before you get pushed in the pool: If you were an animal, what would you be and why? “I would be a penguin because they can swim, they’re cute, and they live in the cold. I love the cold!” Well, when it snows we will have you swim your practice out in the lake! Just kidding! Well Allie, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. Congratulations on being the Blue Wave Swimmer of the Month!

Calvin Chenault (BLUE Tide)

Calvin has been a Blue Wave for a long time, adding his time, humor, and hard work to the team environment. As one of our long time Blue Wave swimmers, we are sure that the kids would love to know a bit about this guy they see flying down the lane at incredible speeds! Calvin’s favorite meet has been the Virginia Tech travel meet, “because I love the opportunity to hang out with all of my friends on the team, and touring the college campus.” Virginia Tech has always been a fun meet. Calvin’s favorite events are the 100 and 200 backstroke, because that’s the stroke he feels best, and when he feels the fastest swimming. To prepare for meets, Calvin rolls and stretches his muscles, and pays close attention to the food he eats. He also keeps track of how much water he’s drinking. Great advice Calvin! We will be sure to make those good ideas habits! When asked what the most challenging part about being a swimmer is, Calvin said “The most challenging part about being a swimmer is starting off big, hard set, where you haven’t gotten through much of it, and you know there is still a lot more to go.” That is tough. Mentally tough. As a swimmer, our bodies are trained to go long distances in the water. But we also need to train our minds to go even longer. Calvin likes being on Blue Wave because he has a lot of friends that are on the team, are in the same group, and he likes the fact that it’s a smaller team. This way, swimmers get a lot more individual attention than on bigger teams. As an upper level swimmer, Calvin has become much better at setting goals, and knowing what needs to be done to achieve those goals. A big goal for him this year is to get an A time in both his backstroke events, and to achieve this goal he is going to work on his kicking and underwaters in backstroke. He is also going to take better care of his body. As an athlete, it is important to treat your body with respect, and practice taking good care of it outside the pool. Although he spends LOTS of time at the pool, Calvin does have other interests. His love of water and swimming lead him to become SCUBA certified, and he spent a week down in Florida with his boy scout troop doing two dives per day, including night dives where he saw many cool sea creatures, like sharks and sea turtles! Calvin’s favorite food is grilled salmon (keeping with the ocean theme we see!). If Calvin won the lottery, he would buy a really nice, really big mansion, with really nice, modern technology in it. That is really cool! Besides swimming, Calvin goes camping, skiing, and hiking, and one of his proudest accomplishments is his Life rank in boy scouts. And finally, if Calvin were an animal, he would be a wolf, “because I love the way they all work together intelligently to bring down prey that is many times bigger than any individual wolf.” Well Calvin, thank you for being a great wolf within our Blue Wave pack, helping us take down those enormous prey, I mean sets. Congratulations on being Blue Wave Swimmer of the Month!

April 2014 Swimmer of the Month

Zachary Ferguson (TYPHOONS 1)

Zachary Ferguson is a very smiley person. Every day the coaches get asked “How was that?” Zach is always looking to improve his strokes, and has been working hard to put more effort in pushing himself to go faster. His favorite events are the 50 free and the 100 IM, because he’s fast at freestyle and the IM’s are fun! We could not agree more Zach! When preparing for a meet, what do you do? “I eat good food, I listen to good music, I pick up my stuff, and I get pumped!” Sounds fantastic! Swimmers should always be pumped to jump in the pool. What is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “Making the commitment to swim all the time.” Very true, Zach. It takes planning, dedication, and a drive to be better every day to make the commitment to be a full time swimmer. Keep up the good work man! What are some things you like about being part of Blue Waves? “How we use the blocks, we each have nicknames (courtesy of Coach Andrew I’m sure), we do dryland, and the coaches are nice!” It all sounds good Zach! What are some goals you are looking to achieve this year? “Getting stronger and faster – I want to do that goal so I can play football better.”

Anne Alcarese (GREEN Crest 2)

Anne Alcarese is a swimmer who is always working hard to perfect her strokes. She is consistently questioning the coaches about drills and sets, making sure that she not only understands the set itself, but the purpose of the set. She is always pushing herself to go further, and is also very positive! So Anne, what has been your favorite meet this year? “The Virginia Tech meet, because it was my first non-local swim meet, and because I was not there with my family.” That was a fun meet! It is exciting when you get to travel in swimming. What are your favorite events to swim? “I like swimming the 50’s because I would consider myself more of a sprinter. I also like all the breaststroke events because I love breaststroke!” I am inclined to agree, you’ve done really well with those events. So when you go to these big meets, and take on other breaststrokers, how do you prepare? “I tell myself to be happy, and to wake up because most of my swim meets are in the morning.” Any day you wake up is a good day! What is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “I think everything about swimming is hard.” Hahaha, well while I do believe that’s true, swimming is also a very rewarding sport. It may be very hard, but with all that effort the results are always very satisfying. What do you like about being on Blue Waves? “I like my coaches and all my teammates.” Yay! I am glad you like us all! That just put a big smile on everyone’s face! Now let’s get serious: swimming, as you say, is a hard sport. What are some goals would like to achieve? “[I would like] to get an A time, and I will do that by really pushing myself in practice.” That is great! As you know, without effort, how can we ever hope to succeed? Keep putting in the effort! Now Anne, we have discussed a lot of things related to swimming, but as we all know, there is a great big world of non-swimming related things out there. What is something we may not know about you? “I have two brothers.” What is your favorite food? “Spaghetti.” Mmm, sounds delish! If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do? “Give it all to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).” That is awesome Anne! A great teammate puts others before themselves, and a good leader always sticks to their values. We will have to chat more about that later! Besides planning future philanthropy, what other activities do you do outside swimming? “Play outside with my friends.” Any accomplishments you would like to mention? “I got straight A’s!” Congrats! Glad to hear you are pushing yourself in school too! Last question before I let you get back to being awesome": If you were an animal, what would you be and why? “Shark, because they’re at the top of the food chain and I would be in the ocean always swimming.” That sounds like the place to be! Well Anne, it is always a pleasure. Congrats on being swimmer of the month! High five! “UDDERS!!” Blast! Got me again. Keep up the good work!

Caroline Dailey (GREEN Crest 1)

Caroline Dailey is called Boston. She is called Boston because she came to us from Boston. And there have been multiple other Carolines, so we need to be able to tell all them apart. But Boston is not just another Caroline, and not just another Bostonian. She is an original through and through, who has come to the team with incredible positivity, and great a great team focus. Her favorite event to swim is the 500 freestyle, because, as she says, “I found that I do like swimming longer distances.” That takes a lot of training! Be sure you work hard in practice! Here favorite meet was the first one the team had this year at Claude Moore, because she swam her first batch of long events, including the 100 free. To prepare for swim meets, Caroline makes sure she stretches that morning. It’s good to be loose and limber for swimming! When asked what the most challenging part about being a swimmer is, she replied “The most challenging part about being a swimmer is pushing yourself beyond limits.” That’s very true. Each person has a perceived limit, where they think they can’t get any further. As swimmers, we are learning how to push past limits, and try not to set any for ourselves. One of Caroline’s favorite parts about being on Blue Wave is discussing the Wall of Wisdom before practice. One of her goals for this year is to break the team record in the 50 breaststroke. Keep working hard Caroline! To get to know you better, what is something we might not know about you? “At my previous swim team in Massachusetts, we only swam 25’s in meets until you were 12!” Wow! That is different! Caroline’s favorite food is strawberries and granola bars. If she won the lottery, she would give half to cancer research, and put the other half in her life savings. Good plan Caroline! Besides swimming, Caroline stays active by playing lacrosse for the Ashburn Bandits. She is very proud of her heritage, and even though she has moved to a totally different state, she is happy she has made new friends while staying proud of her roots. And finally, if she were an animal, Caroline would be a dog, because they are loyal and so much fun to be around! Just like Caroline! We are so proud of you Caroline, thank you for your positive attitude and hard work! Congratulations on being Swimmer of the Month!

Maddie Hricik (BLUE Crest)

Maddie Hricik has done an excellent job exemplifying what a true team player should be. She has led both by words and example, encouraging her teammates to push themselves, and then being sure to push herself above and beyond her own limits. She has shown so much improvement this year, and her efforts to become the best version of herself have paid off! Come by the pool any time during Blue Crest practice and you will see! When asked what the most challenging part about being a swimmer is, she answered “My weakness is flutter kicking, which can be easily shown during a warm up at a meet, or during practice.” Like all swimmers, each of us has a part of our strokes that is weaker than the other. Swimmers are often perfectionists, and don’t like it when something isn’t just right, so they focus a lot on trying to improve their weak points. Keep working that kick Maddie! Her favorite meet this year has been the Turkey Claus Meet, “because it was one of the first meets where my aggression came out and I won my first free B-time.” Her favorite events to swim are the 100 and 200 breaststrokes because she loves the boost she gets, and the strong pulls from her body. When preparing for a swim meet, Maddie likes to get herself excited, telling herself “I can do it,” and when driving to the meet she listens to inspirational songs. Get pumped Maddie!! She likes being on Blue Waves because she likes “being able to bond with the coaches and the squad because it helps [her] push [herself] and keep up with different people every season.” Maddie pushes herself very hard when she’s at practice. “One of my biggest goals in life is to get a scholarship in swimming so I can go to the Olympics and get a gold medal. I will try to achieve this goal by making the most out of every practice inside or outside the pool.” Never let an opportunity to be great slip by! Way to go Maddie! Some cool things to know about Maddie is that her favorite food is steamed shrimp with a bit of eastern shore sauce, when she’s not swimming she reads, sings, do core work by dancing, stretch, and listen to her favorite music. If she were an animal, she would be a bottlenose dolphin “because they are absolutely beautiful, very smart and have a massive dolphin kick.” Channel your inner dolphin Maddie! If she won the lottery, she would go on a two week trip to Hawaii with her best friends. Does that mean all of Blue Waves is going??? Haha, just kidding Maddie! Outside swimming, what’s an accomplishment you are proud of? “I’m very proud of myself for facing my fear of roller coasters at Universal Studios back in November.” What’s something we may not know about you? “One thing some people don’t know about me is that my dad was a first responder to the Pentagon on 9/11 when I was nine days old.” Be sure and thank you dad for us Maddie! To be a great swimmer, as well as a great person, we need to be dedicated, and willing to take risks for the betterment of ourselves and everyone around us. Keep up the amazing work Maddie! Congrats on swimmer of the month!

December 2013 Swimmer of the Month

 

Katie Winklosky (BLUE Crest)

Katie Winklosky has been with Blue Waves for many seasons, and is not only driven and hardworking, but also competitive and a great friend to her teammates. This season she has worked hard to improve not only her favorite strokes, but her not-so-favorite strokes as well. Her favorite events are the 50 fly, the 50 free, and the 200 fly. She is a strong butterflyer, and enjoys swimming the 200 because “Not many people swim it.” Her favorite meet this season was the Tom Dolan Invitational because it was the last meet before she aged up. When asked what the most challenging part of being a swimmer is, she told us “Having practice on Friday nights.” That can be rough, but you do what it takes to accomplish your goals! Katie’s goal for this year is to make it JO’s in more than two events, and to practice hard. While not in the water, Katie is an active athlete who plays soccer, and even volunteered at an Ironman last October! She is also very proud of scoring two goals in one soccer game! Katie enjoys being on Blue Waves because she has plenty of friends on the team. Her favorite food is pizza, and before meets she makes sure to eat plenty of mac-n-cheese. If Katie won the lottery, she would go to the Turks and Caicos Islands with her family and friends. While Katie is there, she will envision herself as a dolphin, because they’re pretty, they swim, and not many animals eat them. Katie has had an amazing season, and has put in the effort and focus to be very successful come Champs! Best of luck Katie!

 

 

Maddie Urick (Typhoons 1)

Maddie Urick is one of our new swimmers, and one of the most focused young swimmers. She has been working very hard to perfect all her strokes, even her weaker ones, and even her turns have improved plenty! Her favorite meet this year was her first meet, the developmental dual meet, because she got to swim all the strokes. She consistently works on doing all the strokes correctly, so all her coaches believe she has a super power: laser-like focus, and smiling! She has even stated that her favorite event is the IM, because she loves swimming all the strokes! To prepare for her meets she wakes up early and gets plenty to eat. For Maddie, the most challenging part of being a swimmer is not being in the water and doing dryland. That right there, is the heart of a true swimmer. She loves swimming with her friends, and her goals for this year are to swim faster and work hard in practice. Keep giving 100% Maddie! Fun facts about Maddie: She also loves gymnastics, and has lived in New Mexico, and Australia!

 

Alex Wu (Typhoons 2)

Alex Wu must be part fish. When he gets in the water, people better watch out, or they may get knocked around by his wake! Always up for a good race, Alex’s favorite stroke is butterfly! He even swims butterfly when the coaches tell everyone to swim easy. That is dedication to perfecting your stroke! To prepare for competition, Alex works hard in practice, gets plenty of rest the night before, and avoids all junk food. As a swimmer, sometimes we have hard days of practice. Not Alex. It may be challenging sometimes, but he says “I enjoy swimming,” he doesn’t feel like being challenged is a bad thing. Keep enjoying swimming Alex! Some of his favorite parts about being on Blue Waves is the “Coaches are so nice, and [it] is a really fun experience!” His big goals for the year are to perfect his flip turn, and get under 1 minute and 30 seconds in his 100 Individual Medley. Outside the pool, Alex likes to play football, play piano, play soccer, and he is very proud of his grades in school. If he won the lottery, he would buy a mansion and help as many poor people as he can. And, if he was an animal, he would be a whale, “because it can swim very well.” Final question Alex: Do you speak whale? Gggooooooood Luuuuuuuck Aaaaaaaaalex!

January 2014 Swimmer of the Month

 

Nico Burbano (BLUE Tide)

 Nico has done very well this season, hitting his stride and really working on pushing himself to new heights of swimming. He has set goals for himself under the belief that there certainly are, no limits to what one can achieve if they are determined enough. He is working on achieving AAA times in his freestyle events, and qualify for some bigger championship meets. His favorite events to swim are the 100 and 200 freestyle, “because they are very high-energy and exciting. They always get my heart pumping!” Nico is a very driven swimmer, and doesn’t let negativity get to him. He’s fun to be around in practice, and everyone agrees, he makes the funniest/weirdest faces on the team. His favorite meet this season was the IMX meet, “because it was very serious and I swam really challenging events.” A great part about swimming is that it challenges swimmers to not set limits on themselves, and that challenges are placed there for them to overcome. They may seem impossible sometimes, but that is only in the swimmer’s mind. Nico says the most challenging part of swimming isn’t really in the pool, it’s “the lack of sleep due to morning practice and homework.” Well Nico, the challenges in the pool are only going to help you overcome those challenges out of the pool! Keep working hard! Prior to his big meets, Nico goes to bed early and eats a healthy breakfast. He enjoys being a part of Blue Wave because we are a smaller team, and “everyone on the team bonds and becomes one big family.” That is awesome Nico! So, what are some things the Blue Wave family may not know about you? “I received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and I used to be very committed to that sport.” Well, we greatly appreciate you committing to the team Nico! What is your favorite food? “Definitely 5-Cheese Ziti.” Yummmmm. What would you do if you won the lottery? “Visit Europe then put the rest of the money in my savings account.” Smart man. What do you do when you’re not swimming? “I love to play guitar and listen to music.” Something else we might not know about Nico, he was accepted into the All-Virginia State Honor Choir. And, if he was an animal, he would be “A cat, because I consider myself very independent and I like to sleep.” Well that sounds purrrrfect Nico! Best of luck at practice, and congrats on being Swimmer of the Month!

 

Dana Korotovskikh (GREEN Tide)

D for determination, A for attitude, N for never give up, and another A for awesome because Dana is the kind of swimmer every coach and teammates wants to have. She is someone that can be relied on to work very hard, and is very competitive with her teammates. So Dana, what are your favorite events to swim? “My favorite events to swim are probably the 200 back and the 200 IM because both require you to try harder than most events, like using all the strokes in the IM and having a continuous fast pace in the 200 back.” What have been your favorite meets thus far this season? “IMX, because it’s not only with PVS but a lot of other teams providing more people to race against and strive to beat. It also holds many memories for meeting new people.” Ever the competitor! How do you prepare for meets like IMX? “ I usually have a smoothie first thing in the morning if it’s an early meet, I also make sure to pack the night before to have more rest.” That is very smart. Plus, it makes you less stressed in the morning! I will have to remember that. What is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “Time management. Because you can get really easily stressed out with school work and swim practices if you don’t have a schedule of your daily routine.” So true. The best swimmers are the ones who prioritize their schedule, and stick to it! Way to stay dedicated! What are some things you like about being on Blue Wave? “I like the wisdom wall and the quotes that are on it because it teaches us a new moral every practice that could greatly impact our future life.” Coach Mike very appreciates that Dana! Having a strong moral code is something that great swimmers live by, and teach to younger swimmers. What is one of your goals for this year, and how do you think you will achieve that goal? “My goal is to make it to finals at Zones and I plan to achieve that by trying harder at practice and start having a healthier life of eating healthy foods and having the right amount of sleep, etc.” Good plan, be sure and stick to your schedule Dana! Okay, let’s get off swimming for a second. But only a brief second, don’t worry! What are some of your favorite foods? “My favorite drink is apple juice. My favorite food is steak, or a cheeseburger (home-cooked).” Yum, yum! If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? “Probably go on vacation and take a break from all the drama of winning the lottery!” Hahaha, so true! You can bet friends will be knocking down your door to hang with you then! What do you do outside of swimming? “Reading, watching TV, and sleeping.” Sounds really nice after a hard practice. What are some accomplishments you are proud of? “Having all A’s in all my classes but math since third grade, and being all honors.” That is awesome Dana! Swimmers are classy, AND smart people! And finally, if you were an animal, what would you be and why? “I’d probably be a Jesus Christ lizard because they have many different techniques of staying away from predators, like running on water.” Well keep practicing Dana, and we might see you ‘flying’ across the water pretty quickly yourself! Congrats on Swimmer of the Month!

November 2013 Swimmer of the Month

 

Arti Shastry (BLUE Breakers)

Arti Shastry is a Blue Breaker who is pushing herself to new heights in her swimming. She has shown great improvement this year, in both her strokes and her effort in practice. She loves going to meets because she enjoys going as fast as she can, and seeing other swimmers race as fast as they can. That way, she learns something new about swimming every time she watches a race. Before swim meets Arti is sure to put in her best effort at practice to help build up her strength, and is sure to eat healthy too! When we asked her what the most challenging part of being a swimmer is, she answers emphatically “The breathing exercises. It gets so tiring and exhausting!” Keep working on it Arti! When asked about Blue Waves, she said “I love Blue Wave Swim Team because I have funny and kind coaches and teammates. I really love swimming for BWST!” One of Arti’s goals for this year is to get down to 38 seconds in her 50 freestyle. You can do it Arti! Something that we on the team may not know about Arti is that her favorite colors are pink, orange, yellow, and purple, because those are the colors of the sunset. Her favorite food is the Chipotle burrito bowl because it is healthy and gives her strength to swim. Yum yum! If Arti won the lottery, the first thing she would do is buy herself a home with a pool to swim in, and give some money to save poor families and give them good water, clothes, and things they need. Good for you Arti! Thinking of others is always important. What are some activities you like to do when you are not swimming? “I like to read my book or talk to Anshi (my sister), I also like to watch TV, but sometimes I just organize my desk.” Some accomplishments Arti is very proud of is when she was chosen as class representative for her school class. If Arti was an animal, she would be a dolphin because they love the water. Arti has shown a lot of enthusiasm for swimming, stroke and self improvement, and she is always very thoughtful of her teammates. She has put in some awesome work at practice, and loves to be pushed. Congratulations Arti! Keep working hard!

Ian Park (Typhoons 1)

Ian is one of our young Typhoon swimmers making a big splash during practice. Ever a great listener, Ian has shown up consistently for practice, and has always given his best effort. For this season, Ian has said his favorite meet has been the Reindeer Mini-Meet because he received his first heat-winner! His favorite stroke is butterfly, especially the 25 fly as he is his summer league team’s record holder. When asked about how he prepares for a meet, he says he “Goes to bed early,” and he always makes sure to “pack some chips.” Swimmers need to stay fed! What are some challenging parts about being a swimmer? “Trying to break my record (personal bests) at every meet.” That is a great challenge Ian! Keep working toward it man! What are some things you like about Blue Waves? “I can make friends easily.” Some goals Ian is trying to achieve this year is “To break my records at every meet.” Achieving personal bests are always hard Ian, so it’s a good thing his other goal is to keep practicing! What is something your teammates might not know about you? “They don’t know how many teeth I lost.” That is very true Ian. We will have to ask you that next time we see you. What is your favorite food? “Hot dogs!” What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery? “I would buy a bunk-bed.” For a little guy, this swimmer does have some ‘lofty’ goals! You go Ian! Ian also plays basketball, and last year he won the Best Overall Student award at school. Last question Ian: If you were an animal, what would you be and why? “I would be a tiger because I could get food easily.” Well Ian, next time at practice we will ask to hear your roar! Congratulations Ian! All the work you are putting into practice is great! Stay focused!

March 2014 Swimmer of the Month

 

Molly Kate Graham (TYPHOONS 1)

 Molly Kate Graham (Known as MK to us Blue Wavers!) is a spunky Typhoon with lots of pop, and lots of passion. She has had a fantastic year, and loves coming to practice and to meets. Her favorite meet this year has been the Polar Pentathlon because she swam a lot of best times, and of course, it was fun! Her favorite events to swim is the Individual Medley, “Because you swim all the strokes and I like all the strokes!” When asked how she prepares for a meet, she said to “Eat a good breakfast.” Smart decision MK! A good breakfast can make for a great day, and help you take on any challenges. Molly Kate believes that the most challenging part of being a swimmer is “swimming the last lap of the 50 butterfly.” Her favorite parts of being on Blue Waves are being with her teammates, the coaches are nice, and it is fun! Just like that last lap of the 50 fly, swimming is challenging, but Molly Kate has done well embracing challenges. Her goals for this year are to get more B-times. To achieve this goal she wants to practice more! Besides swimming, Molly Kate likes to practice soccer, and go play at Lake Anna with her cousins and her grandma. Her favorite food is Mac-and-Cheese, and she is very proud of getting good grades this year in school! Good for you MK! When asked what her favorite animal is, she said “A dog. Because they are cute and friendly.” And if she won the lottery, you know what she would do? “Buy a lot of dogs!” Congrats on being swimmer of the month MK! Keep up the good work!

 

Anna Zapp (GREEN Crest 1)

 Anna Zapp, of the Green Crest squad, is a very driven swimmer! She strongly believes that backstroke flip turns are awesome, and that you should always give 100% at every practice! She brings great energy to the squad, and is always encouraging her teammates to do their best. Her favorite meet this season has been the Spring Champs meet because she bettered most of her old times. Her favorite events to swim are the 50 fly, 50 free, 50 back, 50 breast, and the 1650 free. Just kidding! She is a sprinter all the way, loves sprinting, and one day she may do some long distance free because it is fun and good for conditioning. To prepare for competition, Anna eats healthy and goes to bed early. She believes that the most challenging part about being a swimmer is having to push yourself in the water. Very true Anna, it takes a lot of focus, hard work, and repetition of those good habits to become a mentally strong swimmer. That inner drive that great swimmers have is something they have worked hard to develop. Anna likes being a part of Blue Wave because the coaches push her and they are very supportive. Anna’s goal for the year is to achieve an A-time. She plans to work very hard in practice to achieve that goal. Keep pushing yourself Anna, and you will get it! Something we may not know about Anna is that she REALLY likes to run. She’s a regular road runner (beep beep!). She is very proud of achieving a 24:27 in her 5k run this year Her favorite food is corn beef, and if she won the lottery the first thing she would do is buy a drum set. Probably so she can rock out some awesome jams (BA-DUM, TSSS). When Anna isn’t running or swimming, she likes to jump on her trampoline and watch TV. At the same time?? If possible, yes. If Anna were an animal she would be a monkey, “because they are like humans.” Well Anna, keep working on pushing yourself! Congratulations on receiving Swimmer of the Month!

 

Jackson Lucas (RIP Tide)

Jackson Lucas of yon Rip Tide hath reaped the much coveted reward of being recognized for his good works in yon pool, and upon land. Just a fortnight ago, the young squire made many grand accomplishments at the Junior Olympic Championships, achieving the goals he laid down, early in the autumn season. Now an accomplished knight of the pool, our brave swimmer hath laid down a new goal: to qualify for the Sectional meet. The events in which he takes the most pleasure are the 200 and 500 freestyle, the 200 and 400 IM, and the 200 fly. These events require consistent training, endurance, and strength! All of which this youth is excelling at! Prior to conquest and competition, Jackson hydrates himself (4-5 days prior he begins this regime), eats healthier, and stretches his limbs. Our young knight knows the pressures and challenges that one faces in the heat of battle, and in the churning depths of the water. What he finds to be most challenging is time-management and getting his school work done. This is a challenge which he has embraced, as he has excellent grades, and yon knight has even been bequeathed the title of honor role. Stay devoted to your studies young sir! This young knight enjoys being part of the Blue Wave Kingdom because of his friends, the coaches, and the travel meets that other teams do not do. Apart from rescuing damsels, slaying 200 butterflies, and conquering dragons, Jackson also enjoys wakeboarding during the summer months, and hanging out with his mates. His favorite food is apples (does that include apple sauce?), and if he won the lottery he would build a new pool facility to swim in. And finally, if our magnificent Sir Jackson were to become an animal, he would be a fish, so he may make the water his permanent kingdom. May honor flow upon your house and family Jackson! Best of luck!

February 2014 Swimmer of the Month

 

Katie Park (GREEN Crest 2)

 Katie Park, hi, and welcome to Blue Waves! Your fame has spread throughout the team as someone who is reliable, hard working, and positively enthusiastic about swimming! Thank you for answering a few questions for us adoring fans! Firstly, what has been your favorite meet thus far this season? “The Spring Championship meet, because I went faster in all my events, and got an A time in backstroke.” Congratulations! That is quite the achievement! So I am assuming you like to swim backstroke? Anything else? “My favorite events are 100 fly, 100 back, and 50 back, because I love backstroke and butterfly. Also, I seem to get faster every time I swim them in a meet.” That is awesome! You must be working very hard in practice. What is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “I think the most challenging part about being a swimmer is trying to focus all your training at the meet and not forget it. It can change you from being first or second.” That is very true. With the sport of swimming, you need to train in practice the way you want to swim in a meet. What do you do to prepare for a meet? “I try to get to sleep early, 7:00pm, and try to relax.” Being relaxed is very important. It helps you stay less stressed, and more focused on your goals. What are some of your goals for this year? “One of my goals is to make sure I kick in my back, free, and fly. I will achieve this by trying to make it a habit and I will slowly get used to it.” Very clever! It is important to use practice to make good habits. What do you like about being on Blue Wave? “I like being on Blue Wave because I have improved my stroke and built up my confidence.” Yay! That is awesome to hear! I am glad you are having fun. Swimming aside, what are some things we might not know about you? “I play the piano and love movies!!” Well who doesn’t love a good movie? What is your favorite food? “My favorite food is marble cake with mixed fruit filling and whipped icing. I will not eat ANY cake that has butter cream icing.” Hahaha, well thank you for making me really want some cake now! So besides eat cake, what else do you like to do? “I like to play piano, draw, make box houses, ride my bike, and explore nature.” Well that sounds like fun! If you won the lottery, what would you do? “I would first leave some for college, and then give the rest to my family, who helped me so much.” Families are important. It is good to have the support from your family so you can continue to chase your dreams, and accomplish great things! What else have you done outside of swimming that you are proud of? “In fourth grade, I made it to the school geography bee!” Cool! So if I asked you what the capitol of Mongolia was, would you know it? Just kidding! Final question: If you were an animal, what would you be and why? “I would like to be a phoenix or dragon (fantasy), or a narwhal (real). These amazing creatures are spectacular to look at, and are clever and ferocious!” Well Katie they sound just like you when you swim! Thank you so much for the insight into yourself! And congrats on being Swimmer of the Month! Keep swimming ferociously!!

 

Caroline Layne (GREEN Crest)

Caroline Layne has an ocean of personality. She brings energy and spunk wherever she goes. She is always supportive of her teammates, and is great at looking out for their interests. We are very happy to have her as a swimmer of the month! When we asked Caroline to tell us a bit about herself, she was in no way at a loss for words. So Caroline, what has been your favorite swim meet? “My favorite swim meet was last summer on Stone Ridge because I was with my friends and I got to swim the National Anthem.” Well how does that work? Apparently one gets to carry the flag across the pool. Cool. What is your favorite event? “My favorite event is the 50 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke, because it is my favorite stroke.” One might say you make the competition croak! Or, breaststroke helps you win ribbits, excuse me, ribbons. How do you best prepare for a meet? Doing frog jumps? “I get ready for a meet by stretching, resting, and saving my energy.” Smart choices. Frogs need plenty of energy to leap across ponds. Speaking of leaps, what is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “The cramps after long hard swims.” Sounds like you need to cut down on the flies, and eat more bananas and drink plenty of water! What do you like about being on Blue Waves? “All the friends and the fun things we do, like bowling!” Do you have any goals this season? “My goal was to make swimmer of the month, and I did that by working hard in practice.” Well, not just that, you are also a great teammate. Keep up the good work in practice! What is something your teammates might not know about you? Are you secretly a frog? “I have a grandma who is a swim coach!” Well then! Swimming must run in the family! What is your favorite food? “Pasta with parmesan cheese and broccoli!” That is amazing, I don’t think I have met a swimmer who has broccoli as part of their favorite foods! What other stuff do we not know about you? “I go horseback ridding and basketball, I have gotten honor role for all three quarters thus far, and if I were an animal I would be a cheetah because I could go really fast.” That is hopping cool Caroline! Last question: what would you do if you won the lottery? “The thing I would do first is scream and buy a house in Chapel Hill North Carolina.” That is a beautiful city! Keep up the awesome work Caroline, and congratulations on being swimmer of the month!