Q: How long have you been swimming?
A: This is going to be my fourth year swimming. I used to when I was younger, really young.
Q: Did you ever play any other sports growing up?
A: I danced for a little, I played soccer, flag football and volleyball for a little bit also.
Q: Why did you decide to focus on just swimming?
A: I felt like I needed a balance between academics and athletics, and I felt like if I did multiple sports, it would be hard to balance.
Q: How much training do you do per day or week on a yearly basis?
A: In the offseason, I go to the gym every day of the week, or I try to, then during the swim season, I go to practice with the team and work out on the weekends.
Q: Is it important to have that time away from swimming?
A: I think it’s important, even if it’s just for a little while, so I can focus on conditioning and training in the gym.
Q: Rating swimming versus academics, which is more important in your life?
A: My mom has always taught me that academics come before athletics, and I am a student-athlete and student comes before athlete. I do love athletics, but I feel academics come before.
Q: Are swimming and academics close in ranking in life importance?
A: Yes, but I feel academics are more important to me.
Q: What skills do sports teach you that you apply to life?
A: Definitely teamwork and working with other people. I’ve had to step up and do some things as captain and it was important to have that connection with the other members of the team.
Q: What goals do you have for your senior year, academically and/or athletically?
A: Academically, I want to increase my GPA and athletically, I want to do well in regionals. Last year I made it to regionals as a relay, and this year I want to make it as an individual. I did well in districts, but regionals are tough to get into.
Q: What are your personal dreams?
A: I want to go to the University of Tampa to study business and minor in sports management, then maybe working in the NFL.
Q: What has been your best high school sports moment?
A: Definitely, doing well at districts last year. Especially since I’ve been swimming only since my freshman year, so it was a big accomplishment for me to place in the Top 10 in one of my events. That was a really big thing for me.
Q: Any coaches, teachers, or family members who have helped you reach this point?
A: Definitely, my coach (Lori Bosco), she has always been there for me, and always cheering me on, even if I wasn’t doing well or when practices were tough and she helped me stick through it. Then also my mom and dad especially have been a big impact.
Q: What advice would you give to the next generation of Conchs?
A: Especially to the athletes, remember to keep your academics before your athletics. That will set you up and you can always have your athletes on the side too. Having a balance between the both is important.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve received?
A: Is probably that, to put my academics first and always keep pushing in athletics as well.
Q: Having invested so much time — physically, mentally, and emotionally — in swimming, how can you have proper closure during your senior year?
A: Doing well in my event next year and putting more time in training, so I can do better and maybe lower my times. If I can lower my times in the 50 and 100, that would be my closure.
Q: Anywhere in the world you want to visit?
A: I definitely want to visit Italy. I visited Wyoming and that was one of my top places to visit, so now, Italy. My grandmother was Italian and I feel that has an impact on me.
Q: Do you have any hobbies outside of sports?
A: Going to the gym, it’s something I picked up in the past two years, and I love going to the gym with my friends. I also work there, so it’s nice having my co-workers there with me as well. I also like going to the beach, a lot.
Q: What are some challenges you’ve faced as a student-athlete?
A: Catching up on work I’ve missed, if I had a meet to go to, but I think through the years it’s been easier for me to catch up with the work and balance. It was definitely a struggle at first, my freshman and sophomore year.
Q: If you could add one hour to your day, what would you do with it?
A: Probably going to the gym or swimming, most likely adding an hour of swim so I can do better.
Q: What are your plans for after high school?
A: I want to go to the University of Tampa and join the club swim program because my sister started it there and I think it would be fun to follow in her footsteps in college.
Q: If receive a scholarship to swim for a college program, no matter the size or location of the school, will you take it?
A: I don’t think so, just because I haven’t been swimming for that long and UTampa is my top school and I feel if I swim in the club there it would be great for me.
Q: What would you tell your college roommate about the Keys?
A: It’s very pretty, it’s a very small town, everyone knows each other, and it’s just a place I took for granted growing up.
Q: On your first trip back home, what will be the meal you ask for?
A: Probably lobster, from my dad, he makes really good grilled lobster.
Q: Do you have any career aspirations, if you can’t make it to the NFL?
A: I haven’t thought about it, I’d probably make my own business like my own gym. I do work at a gym now and the owners are two women and I think it’s great they started their own company and run their business with each other. I think it would be great to own my own company like a gym to help other athletes be fit.
Q: If you are to make it to the NFL, what position would you be looking for?
A: Probably a trainer.
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