Aglaia Lan '24 Recruiting Profile

I once visited a fortune-teller who exclaimed, “Your life is filled with water!” This simple statement had many possible interpretations, but I realized it was directing me to the swimming pool. I was treated like a bottomless well brimming with potential. My graceful and swift strokes quickly caught me up to the person in front of me, and I loved the feeling of water rushing past my cheek. Additionally, I have never-ending gratitude for the lessons I learned: my parents taught me how to treat swimming more than a fatiguing burden. I experienced pain in my muscles every night and immense exhaustion, but I managed to stay happy. The adrenaline flowing in my veins reminded me of the pool water flowing past me. 

Additionally, I am even grateful for the incorrect lesson my old teammates taught me: everything is a competition, and it was each swimmer for themselves. The more I pondered, the more correct the statement sounded: I realized that majority of the swimming events held in my team were individual, and even for the relays, each member always wanted to be the first to swim (so that their times could count). This change in thought changed my attitude toward swimming: the pain I experienced was torture. The overwhelming sense of exhaustion became unbearable, and swimming practice became another daily chore to complete. However, whenever my team was invited to another site to compete, the differences in attitude shocked me. The other swimmers looked happy. They cheered for each other, even when the event was not a relay. A spark lit within me, and I realized the fault in my teammates' saying. Swimming is much more than a mere competition; it is about the spirit, the team bonding, the love and respect for every individual. 

I learned to never lose sight of myself. I continue to devote all my strength to honing my swimming technique, muscle, and endurance. In 2021 and 2022, I competed in the Far Western Championships and felt extremely grateful and humble to swim beside other talented young athletes. I trained with my team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and in Oahu, Hawaii; not only did I get stronger, but I also established closer bonds with my friends, teammates, and coaches. I carry this attitude in swimming with me throughout my daily life. In school, I aspire to never lose track of my academic and personal goals, and during the long studying nights, I remind myself and my friends why we do what we do. In order to continue my academic interests, I joined the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society to help underserved communities and tutor those who wish to learn more regarding a specific subject or culture. I also volunteer at the Sunnyyouth Club to tutor non-native English Speaking eighth and ninth-graders with reading and public speaking. 

In college, I want to major in something related to cognitive sciences and biology. I wish to learn more about the obstacles many run into: themselves. Many set goals but fail to reach for them because of their physical or mental limits. As someone who prioritizes school and swimming, balancing both may prove to be one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced; however, I will never back down. Swimming has taught me more than I could have wished for, and I wish to teach others what I have learned in hopes that they also never lose sight of themselves.