Manuel Quintero '24 Recruiting Profile

Swimming back in Mexico, all of us would look up to whatever crazy performances the top-swimmers of the USA pulled at the world-class of swim meets like World Championships or the Olympics. Many idolized the superstar swimmers like Katie Ledecky, Regan Smith, Caeleb Dressel, and of course, Michael Phelps. I happened to be one of those kids who aspired to one day be as fast as his heroes and maybe even duel with them at the pool. 

When I figured out that I had to leave Mexico, I was hurt in the beginning. I was leaving to an entirely different country and I was leaving behind my family and the pathway I had made over 17 years. But along with the pain of leaving my most loved ones behind, there was a little fire of excitement on a fragment of my soul. I knew that I wanted to swim for the rest of my life no matter what, and I knew that embarking on this new stage could mean a lot of new opportunities to be made. I was also very aware that I was starting my pathway in the same country where many of my swimming heroes were made. As I am starting my college career in Pasadena City College, I think that this may be my one shot. The one fire that started with a move to new country is now a flare on my interior that knows I have what it takes to form part of your institution.