Personal Statement
My name is Jonathan Holmberg, a 2020 graduate from Rudbeckianska Gymnasiet High School in Västerås, Sweden. I am currently 18 years old and swimming for Västerås SimSällskap (VSS) - a top 3 competitive swim club in Sweden. As I am approaching the end of my junior year, I am looking to continue my development both as a swimmer and as a person at Your university starting fall of 2020.
Swimming has been a passion of mine for years, as I have come to appreciate a structured everyday life consisting of daily swimming practices and demanding schoolwork. I am currently training six days per week including seven swimming sessions, two weight lifting sessions and core training after each swim session. I always do my best at every single training session. My underwater kicks and streamline are my biggest strengths which allow me to maintain a high and steady pace under water. Some of my best accomplishments to date are listed in the table below.
Managing swimming practices and a part-time job, my GPA is amongst the top 5 % in my class. My favorite subjects are chemistry and biology, which also would be my preferred future majors in college.
Having faced adversity at an early age, I believe that I have developed confidence and persistence to succeed both academically and athletically at the collegiate level. Most notably, I was diagnosed with meningitis in 2014, a serious medical condition involvinginflammated membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. As a result, I was hospitalized for over 2 months and was not allowed to exert myself physically for 9 more months after that. At the time, I was told by my friends that I probably would not come back swimming again, but that was exactly what I did as I pushed through those tough times determined to make it back to swimming competitively. My ultimate strength is my positiveness, confidence and persistence. Today, my current coach and I are convinced that I will qualify to the Swedish nationals no later than December 2019.
During my spare time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family and going to church. Among my swimming teammates as well as my classmates, I am perceived as a responsible, disciplined and hard working person with a lot of energy. I look for motivation in everything I do and I am good at motivating and inspiring other persons.
I hope this letter gives a brief explanation of who I am and what I want to achieve both athletically and academically. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely Yours,
Jonathan Holmberg