Aaron Lee (GREEN Crest 1) 
Aaron “Tonka” Lee is a moving fortress of will, good humor, and hard work. He has shown great dedication to the team by setting the example for going above and beyond the call of duty. At the distance meet, he counted for someone in nearly every single heat all weekend, and in practice has been consistently pushing himself to go further underwater, and faster on top of the water. He is a legend among older swimmers, and amidst the gawking youth of the team. Aaron is a great teammate, and it is so cool to see someone so dedicated to helping others, and bringing his teammates up. We were able to interview Aaron outside his busy schedule of being awesome, and got a few serious questions answered. So Aaron, what has been your favorite meet this season? “My favorite meet this season was Turkey Claus, because I got my first 50 breast JO cut, and an A time standard.” Fantastic! So I’m guessing you like breaststroke. Any other events you like? “I enjoy the team relays because we can really cheer loud, and get the team involved in competition.” So true! Relays are amazing! How do you prepare to compete? “I make sure that I have enough rest, and eat a healthy meal the night before a swim meet.” Good thinking. So besides staying away from all those tasty, processed foods, what is the most challenging part of being a swimmer? “It takes so much time that I miss hanging out with my school and neighborhood friends because of the practices and meets.” That is a tough one, being able to balance sports and social life. It gets better man! Don’t worry! What are some things you like about Blue Wave? “I really enjoy hanging out with the older swimmers – they are so much fun.” They are fun! and slightly crazy, haha. Do you have any goals for this season? “My goal for this summer is to qualify for the Eastern Zone Long Course meet for breaststroke.” Great goal! Keep practicing! Now, we all know you are a driven person, and have been working hard in Blue Wave practices. What is something that your teammates may not know about? “One of my favorite things to do at home is to cook and bake with my mother. She is a wonderful cook, and I like helping her cut and mix ingredients. We bake cookies and meals together.” That is fantastic! Family is important, and it is great that it is your priority. Are there any foods that are your favorites? “My mom’s homemade chili and chicken wings are the two best things I consider my favorite comfort foods.” Yum, you will have to convince your mom to bring some to the next team gathering! What music do you listen to? “I love listening to pop and country music, especially if I know the words and can sing along.” Little known fact, swimmers can be great singers because of their lung capacity and breathing skills. You will have to help us organize a Blue Wave concert someday! Are there any activities outside swimming that you like to do? “I play all year competitive travel baseball for the Potomac Riverdog’s 9U team. This takes a lot of my time in the fall, winter, spring, and summer when I’m not swimming.” Well, if you are as good a teammate for the Riverdogs as you are for Blue Wave, they are extremely lucky to have you too! What accomplishments are you most proud of, outside swimming that is? “My tackle football team Hornets went undefeated during the 2014 fall season, and won the AYFL ‘Iron Man.’ I played the whole game on both offensive and defensive line during the full season. My coaches and teammates call me ‘Tonka’ because I run over any opposing player that is in front of me.” Well Tonka, that is fantastic!! Put in the work, and it pays off! Bet that took a lot of guts, courage, and endurance! Good thing you have all those in spades! Last question before we let you get on your way: if you could have any super-power, what would it be? “I would be to have super power speed. The ability to move and get places very fast. this ability will make sure I will never be late, and it’s also not a bad thing to have as an athlete.” Very true. Well Aaron, keep up the great work! Thank you for all you do for the team, and congratulations on being a Blue Wave Swimmer of the Month! #SOTMAaron #SOTMTonka
Molly Layne (TYPHOONS 2)
Molly Layne is one smile-errific swimmer. She always has a smile on her face, and is great at being a positive influence for her teammates. Her focus during dryland and swim practice has really shined. She has demonstrated butterfly and breaststroke to her teammates, and has been going above and beyond when it comes to encouraging others around her. Molly is not just another smiling face however. Let’s get to know her a bit! Miss Molly Layne, what are your favorite events to swim? “50 breast, because breaststroke is my best stroke, and the 100 IM because I get to do every stroke!” Who doesn’t love the 100 IM? What has been your favorite meet this year? “Mini-Champs meet, because I got to meet other girls that weren’t in my group.” So, you would call yourself a social-breaststroke, rather than a social-butterfly? We’re glad to hear you enjoy meeting new people on the team! You may one day be our social events coordinator. What, in your opinion, is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “It’s hard work sometimes, and getting DQ’d isn’t fun.” That’s true, but how else do we learn how to swim fast? DQ’s are there to help us learn how to swim the stroke the fastest, and it makes all the races fair. How do you prepare for a swim meet? “Stretch, eat a healthy breakfast, and make sure I have everything I need in my bag.” Good for you! Be prepared! What do you like about being on Blue Wave? “The coaches are nice, my teammates, and swimming is fun!” Yes it is. And it only gets more fun the more you do it! At Blue Wave, we like to keep our goals in mind when we swim, and when we go to meets. What are some goals you have for this year? “I will be working on perfecting my strokes, and I will achieve this by listening to my coaches, and practicing the tips they give me.” Sounds like a good plan! So besides swimming, what is something your teammates might not know about you? “My grandma (Nini) is a swim coach.” I said BESIDES swimming, haha. But that is cool! What is your favorite food? “Ice cream!!” I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! What kind of entertainment do you like? “Kidz Bob CD’s, WGTS 91.9 radio, Dolphin Tale 2 (the movie), and Bella and the Bulldogs TV show.” Being a swimmer, Dolphin Tale 2 does not surprise us, haha. What do you do when you are not swimming? “Play with friends or family, and go to the beach.” Well, after all this cold, we could certainly use some beach time! What accomplishments are you most proud of outside swimming? “I finished two triathlons for Childhood Cancer.” That is amazing! What a fantastic cause! I’m glad that’s important to you! Last question, if you had a super-power, what would it be? “When someone gets sick or hurt, I would like the power to heal them, so that no one would get sick or have cancer and die.” That sounds like a great super-power! While that power may not be available yet, I know you will do all you can to help others who are in that situation. Keep swimming fast and working hard Molly! Congratulations on being Swimmer of the Month! #SOTMMolly
Lauren Long (GREEN Crest 2) 
Lauren Long is a race car of a swimmer. Not only has she been picking up the speed, but you might also say she’s very ‘driven!’ While she may look scared at first of swimming a set, she will be the one to put her heart and soul into the set, and give it her best every time. Lauren has shown great improvement in her technique, and with the effort she has put into practice, it is paying off! Successful swimmers are those that do not back down when challenged to become better, and stronger. Lauren is not someone who backs down from a challenge. She believes the most challenging part about being a swimmer is working as hard as she can to get faster. Not only is this a very physical challenge, but it’s also a mental challenge. Swimming is a sport that is not easy, but it gives big pay-offs to those who put in the work. Lauren’s favorite events are the IM’s and the 500 free. She enjoys those events because she gets to swim all the strokes in the IM, and the 500 is an event which she enjoys challenging herself to go faster in each time she swims it. Her favorite meet this year was the PVS January Open, where she swam her first 500 freestyle. She had so much fun, you might say that this little fish was ‘hooked’ on the 500! When asked how she prepares for competition, Lauren responded “I try to eat a healthy dinner the night before and make sure that my swim bag has everything I need in it.” Great job Lauren! Each swimmer prepares for competition in a different way. But the point is that they prepare! They don’t go into a meet without making sure that they have done what they need to do to swim faster, and become better. What are some things you like about being part of Blue Wave? “The coaches are awesome and have good examples that help us swim faster. Also, my teammates help with encouraging me to do better and try harder.” Good to hear! Each swimmer on the team plays an important role: To bring their own unique personality, and help create a place where everyone can succeed! What are some goals you have for this year? “One of my goals for this year is to reach the IMX Extreme point goal. I will do this by trying hard and improving my times as best I can.” That’s a great goal! IMX is there to help swimmers become better, all-around athletes. Keep chasing your goals! Now, besides swimming, what is something your teammates may not know about you? “I want to be an architect one day!” Now that is cool! So when Blue Wave becomes world-famous for it’s super swimmers, you can help design us a brand new pool! What are some of your favorite foods? “Mexican food! Especially tacos!” Muy bueno! Muy delicioso! What kind of music do you like to listen to? “Country and pop music.” I bet you get pumped up to swim listening to Taylor Swift! What activities do you do outside swimming? “I enjoy playing softball, and participating in girl scout activities like kayaking, rock climbing, camping, archery, white-water rafting, and of course selling girl scout cookies at booths. I also enjoy reading.” Well that sounds cool and adventurous! Not to mention, dare I say, challenging! Are there any accomplishments you are particularly proud of? “I am a Girl Scout Cadette. I worked on a project last year to make dresses for girls in other countries, and due to my efforts I received a bronze award.” That is amazing! Great job! Part of being a well-rounded person is giving back to others, and I am glad to hear you are doing that! Last question, then you can get back to swimming and doing all that fun stuff. If you could have a super-power, what would it be? “I would want super-speed, because if I were in a race, I would be able to finish really fast!” Well, keep working hard, and you might just get a bit of that super-speed! Congratulations Lauren on being a Blue Wave Swimmer of the Month! #SOTMLauren
