Hevi Medde-Witage '20 Recruiting Profile

Swimming was never a skill that I knew I had ,but here I am today, I live for competing as a swimmer. I cherish the moment I first jumped in to the pool.

When I was in elementary school, I couldn’t find one talent or interest that really touched me. I excelled academically, but I felt that there were more to me and I wasn't willing to settle. I played soccer, baseball, and football, but I didn’t feel connected. Then, I started to learn how to swim so that I could start competing in my community’s summer swim team. Unfortunately, my progress was slow. It took me two summers to put my head under water. When I learned how to swim 25 yards, I joined summer swim team.

When I was 10 years old, I joined club swimming to challenge myself as a competitive swimmer. Next thing I knew, I was spending hours and hours in the pool, learning and practicing different strokes. It was difficult at the beginning, but my ambition and determination fueled me to keep up with it.  I failed more than I succeeded, but that failure made me try even harder and I kept going. Much to my surprise, it turned out that I was not just good at this sport; I was great. I made my first Junior Olympics, first Eastern Zone Age Group Champs, first Junior Champs,first Senior Champs, ISCA, Senior Eastern Zone Champs, Speedo Sectionals etc. These accomplishments helped me to build my character and mental toughness to make a positive impact on my team.  Most importantly, I discovered that I had finally found something I was truly passionate about.

I became a coach at my summer swim team with the goal of giving back to the team that inspired me to become a swimmer. I was able to inspire young swimmers to like and thrive under the sport. Simultaneously, it helped me to improve my motivational and leadership skills as well. I am a highly coachable swimmer and a team player who has the thirst to thrive in and out of water. I'm looking for a college program that will be a good fit for me to take my swimming career to the next level as well as to accomplish my academic goals. I believe that I not only have the talent and commitment to compete, but my strong work ethic and leadership skills will make me a great asset to your program.