- November 2023
Personal Statement
Hey! I'm a Belgian swimmer and I've been swimming competitively for about 6 years now. Last year, I increased my training to 6 to 7 times per week and going to the gym 3 times a week. I was swimming on my own most of the time, and my coach would send me a program that I would follow, but I also found a high level waterpolo players and triathletes that could train with. I dropped more than 1 second in the 50m butterfly and 2 seconds in the 100m freestyle in 2 months. This summer I accomplished my goal of the year to compete in the national championships in these two events.
But my love for swimming doesn't stop in the pool. Last year I was very happy to have been asked to be a coach for my club. Training the younger swimmers has helped me focus on technique, which has also helped me a lot as a swimmer. Having to teach the others, I had to learn about hydrodynamics, proper form, and simple exercises to work on every aspect of swimming. I would like to understand it even better by studying sports physiology. Besides sports, at school I've always been a good student but sciences and math are my best.
I've lived most of my life in Belgium, but I have duel citizenship in Belgium and the USA. It's my dream to study in the US, swim on a competitive team, and to receive high-level coaching, but universities are really expensive, and I hope my swimming will help me get there.
I have improved a lot since I stepped up my training 8 months ago, but I think I can go a lot further with the right team and the right coach.