Robert Gatto '23 Recruiting Profile

At age nine, after my mom saw that I neither liked nor was especially great at the typical sports played on a field or court, she suggested I dive in and try something different; swimming. So, on a chilly autumn evening, bribed with a bag of M&Ms to swim across a 25-meter outdoor pool, I took to the water with the support of a great coach and haven’t looked back since. Swimming has positively changed my life, central to all my decisions, big and small. From decisions on what job I should take to what schools I will potentially attend, swimming is consistently the predominant factor as I think through my options. Over the past eight years, I have been incredibly blessed to have swimming in my life. It has acted as a guide that has helped me gain essential skills that I utilize in and out of the pool. Swimming has taught me rigor, discipline, teamwork, optimism, and many other attributes that I feel make me a valuable asset to any team or group I may join. 

I have been very fortunate to progress as far as I have over the last several years. My drive to improve my times, combined with my enthusiastic and encouraging family, coach, and teammates, has helped me reach for and achieve my goals. From realizing my strength in the 100 fly a few seasons ago to discovering that I also can enjoy success as a distance swimmer, I have learned the importance of a strong work ethic, determination, motivation, and goal-setting. 

These traits have been particularly beneficial during the COVID pandemic. Like many in my class, I lost valuable practice time, living in the northeast where the weather was still cool to swim outdoors and with my training pools closed. During that time, I found ways to work out independently until structured practices resumed. Steady determination has led me to my first senior Mets cuts this year, with my goals set even higher for the long course. In addition, during the pandemic, I worked with my high school’s administrators to form the school’s first swim team. I am excited to represent Saint Joseph Regional High School in 2022 and swim at the county level.

I am confident that the lessons learned from swimming will continue as I work to be a successful member of a college swim team, learning from and cheering on my teammates and striving to push myself to surpass my goals.