September 2015 Swimmer of the Month

Claire Pollock (TYPHOONS 1)
Claire comes to us from a long line of legendary athletes. Along with an ancestry in swimming, she also brings with her a lot of good work ethic. She has worked hard, and done it with a smile on her face, and  a willingness to learn that has set her apart. So Claire, what do you believe is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “Learning to do butterfly has been very hard for me.” Ah yes, butterfly is a difficult beast to tackle. But with perseverance, you are sure to do it! Looking back at this year Claire, what has been your favorite meet? “The SNOW Pumpkin Invitational has been my favorite meet, because I tried my freestyle flip turn. I was really nervous, but I tried it anyway.” That is fantastic! Way to take a risk and get out of the comfort zone! Turns can be tricky to learn, but all they take is some practice, and confidence will soar! Speaking of confidence, what are your favorite events to swim? “The 50 breaststroke, because breast is my favorite stroke!” And how do you prepare for meets? After all, racing takes a lot of preparation in practice, so what else do you do? “Pack my bag the night before, go to bed early, and always have a good breakfast. Also, I drink a lot of water.” Smart preparation! Now Claire, we here at Blue Wave are always looking to improve, and make swimming a great experience for all. What do you like about being part of Blue Wave? “The coaches are nice, and my teammates are nice. I have made new friends! I also like when we go outside for dryland.” Who doesn’t like going outside? And tell you what, we coaches are nice because we have such nice swimmers! What are some goals you have for this upcoming year? “I need to learn how to do a freestyle flip turn.” Well, you are improving at it that’s for sure! How will you achieve that goal? “I will listen to my coaches and always try my best when we do flip turns in practice.” Great job Claire! That’s the way to do it! Now let’s learn some more about you. What is something that your teammates might not know about Claire Pollock? “That my Grandma has a beach house in Bethany Beach DE, and we go every summer. I like to play where the waves crash on the beach.” That sounds like so much fun! Beaches are some of the best places to vacation! What is your favorite food? “Annies Noodles and edamame.” Now that’s a new one I haven’t heard before! Sounds delicious though. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do? “I would put a very big pool in my backyard so I can swim all the time!” And of course, you will have the most awesome pool parties ever. What kind of activities do you like to do when you are not swimming? “I like to play with my friends, play soccer and basketball, I like to do crafts, and go to the pool to play.” What accomplishments are you most proud of outside of swimming? “I made the U8 soccer academy for Loudoun Soccer.” Wow! Congratulations! Must be all that hard work! Okay Claire, last question. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? “A crocodile, because it’s my favorite animal.” They are indeed, very good swimmers, and very ferocious! Crocodile Claire has a nice ring to it too! Well Crocodile Claire, thank you for answering all our questions, and for helping us to get to know you better! congratulations on being Blue Wave Swimmer of the Month! #SOTMCrocodileClaire



Naska Batjargal (GREEN Crest 2)
Naska B. is quite the catch! She has been speeding through the waters like a rocket lately, and we could not be prouder of how much she has accomplished this year! Along with some fast legs, Naska is known for her fast talking! So Naska, tell us, what has been your favorite swim meet this year, and why? “Spring Champs, becase that’s where I got to do my first 100!” Congrats! What events do you like to swim? “My favorite events are the 100 free and the 200 free because I love sprinting!” Sprinting is indeed fun to swim, and fun to watch! It’s quick, and as a swimmer you need to have all your technique on point! How do you prepare for a swim meet? “I practice my events a day before the meet, and I eat healthy to get my stomach ready.” Very smart. Eating healthy is a good habit to get down! Swimmers swim so often, it is important to make good habits. What do you believe is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “Probably the cardio. It’s very challenging not getting enough breaks between laps.” Well, like I said, swimmers need to create good habits, and the best way to do that is lots of repeats of those good habits! Even without a lot of rest. What are some things you like about being on Blue Wave? “I like how my teammates can support one another and the team has fun ideas for practices.” Practice is always fun! No matter how hard it is, it’s always fun if you’re swimming with friends. Now, we all know swimming is challenging, and there are a lot of great aspects to the sport. One important part is goal setting. Do you have any goals for this year? “My goal will be to try harder events.” Cool, how will you do that? “I think I can achieve that by working on my pace and speed.” Good plan. So make sure you focus on that in practice! Now for some fun. What is something your teammates might not know about you? “I had done ice skating when I was 5, and quit when I was 8.” Well, the sport of swimming thanks you! We’re super glad to have you with Blue Wave! What is your favorite food Nasak? “PIZZA!!!” A good piece of pizza is a little slice of heaven. If you won the lottery, what would you do first? “I’d probably buy myself a phone, then donate to charity.” You could get a really nice phone! And, you could make a huge difference to a lot of people! That’s awesome! What kind of activities do you do outside of swimming? “I like to draw and play video games.” Are there any accomplishments outside of swimming you would like to share with us? “I’m proud of an award for drawing a few years ago. I had won principal’s favorite.” That is so cool! Congrats! Art is an expression of the soul. Finally, if you could be any animal, what would it be and why? “A shark, because 1, it’s my favorite animal, 2, I’d still get to swim, and 3, people will fear me MWAHAHAHA!!” Oh my goodness! Well, I am kind of glad you are still Naska, and not Shark-Naska. Keep swimming fast like a shark though! Congrats on being Swimmer of the Month! #SOTMNaska