Nick Ames '20 Recruiting Profile

    Without a doubt, swimming has shaped the person I am today. While the sport taught me many valuable qualities, most if its lessons actually sprung from a period that was the most difficult and frustrating time of my swimming career. During my freshman year of high-school, my times were simply not getting better, and I began to question my future as a swimmer. With the help of my first competitive swim coach, however, I was able to turn this rut around. Due to her wholehearted compassion and determination, I was inspired to make myself better. Knowing how deeply she cared about my swimming, I not only decreased my times, but was also forever invigorated to be the best swimmer I could be. Through this experience I fully realized that although swimming is generally individual, the support that I have received from both teammates and coaches makes it truly feel like a team-sport.

    Swimming has also taught me determination, time-management, and how to have a good work-ethic, especially in relation to school. I currently attend a preparatory academy in which all of the classes are honors, making it an extremely rigorous education. Balancing this and my equally intense swim schedule proves to be an understandably demanding endeavor, but I believe that having a stringent schedule will best prepare me for the road ahead. On top of this, I manage to maintain a 4.8 weighted GPA and have received several awards for my academic achievements. With all of my above attributes, I strongly feel that I will bring both high academic success and have a hard-working and supportive attitude to your swim program.