Mia Sperbeck '24 Recruiting Profile

Alaskan born and raised, I’ve enjoyed so many unique aspects of life in "The Last Frontier" to include deep sea fishing for halibut in Prince William Sound, fly fishing for silver salmon and rainbow trout on the Kenai River and hiking and camping in Denali National Park. Learning to swim was not just a natural part of wilderness survival in my state, it was a way to stay active an healthy during our long winter months! I began swimming  in elementary school with basic lessons and skills. It was during these lessons that I watched the local swim club, Aurora Swim Team, run their practice. I knew that was where I wanted to be! As soon as I could meet the team qualifications, I joined. I’ve been swimming with Aurora ever since, with a short absence in 2022 for medical care. Thankfully, I'm back better than ever and proud to be a member of Aurora, which also happens to share the same High School pool that I swim for during High School season. We even "enjoy" the same coaching staff!  

Throughout the years, I would say I’ve learned many of the lessons any parent would want for their kid while participating in a team sport. Hard work is only part of the equation. Everyone on my team works hard. That's why we were able to win back-to-back state championships and break long standing (over 20 years old) school records in the 200 Free relay, 400 Freestyle relay, and 200 IM relay. My ability to work as a member of a team, along with dedication and vison are the real keys to success and how I've learned to push myself further to progress and bounce back in defeat. The type of event that really resonates with me are relays. I genuinely love them. Early on in my swimming career, one of my coaches emphasized the importance of giving everything I had to the relays. The motivation to push harder for the success of the relay team drives me to swim at my absolute best. I’m fortunate to have been a member of our relay teams for my High School when we set new school records! 

I believe my strongest asset to any team is not only my personal swimming abilities, but also my drive to push harder for the team as a whole. I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue competing at the collegiate level.