Elijah Charlton '27 Recruiting Profile

My name is Elijah, and this year, I made my return to swimming after a three-year break due to COVID and wrestling. Before I quit, I had swum for five years and wrestled for seven. Since both sports took place in the same season, I had to choose between them, and I decided to focus on wrestling for a few more years. However, I soon realized how much I missed swimming and decided to come back this year to compete for my high school team.

The transition was tough at first, as getting back into the water after such a long break presented a real challenge. But I was determined to put in the work. Throughout the season, I made significant improvements. I dropped time, changed events, and refined my skills. For example, in the 50 freestyle, I started the season with a time of 27 seconds and improved to 24.55 seconds. In the 500 freestyle, an event I had never swum before, I was nervous but pushed myself to swim it. My first time in the event was a 6:32, but I kept training hard, and that effort paid off when I swam it again at the conference meet and earned third place. That performance led me to sectionals, where I improved to 6:07.

I swam nearly every event throughout the season, showcasing my versatility as a swimmer. Each race helped me improve and adapt, proving how much effort and commitment I put into my training. After the season, I knew I had to keep working if I wanted to reach my ultimate goal of competing at the state championships next year. That’s why I recently joined the Blazing Barracudas, where I’m excited to push myself even further with a new team and coaches.

In conclusion, my willingness to try new events and succeed in them highlights my versatility as a swimmer. The hard work I put into practice each day shows my dedication to achieving my personal goals and contributing to my team’s success. I’m ready to keep improving and working towards the next level.