Bengisu Caymaz '22 Recruiting Profile

I have grown up with swimming as a best friend since I was five years old, and competitive swimming since the age of seven. I’ve dedicated a great portion of my leisure time to improving my swimming skills. It has been the biggest part of my life and the part I have most enjoyed. I am sure that the success I already enjoy in swimming will increase exponentially because it is something I truly enjoy and do with great passion.

Swimming has transformed me into the person I am today emotionally, physically and mentally. The adrenaline that is always present in my life has kept me doing and loving this sport from the beginning. I enjoy competition, and take great satisfaction from mounting the podium after a race and being awarded the medal. The atmosphere of the camps before the competitions and the meets both give me huge excitement. I have a chance to test myself at every race and improve my results. 

I have been swimming for Fenerbahce Sports Club’s swim team, one of the best in Turkey, for eleven years. It is such a special feeling to swim for my club and represent it the best I can. Although swimming seems as if it is an individual performance sport, for me it is more than that. While I race, getting excellent results for my team is one of my biggest motivators. Dedication to my team makes me stronger and more successful.

I swim six days a week and around 5 km each practice. I’ve never lifted any weight more than my own weight so after the strong dry land program in the university I hope to show my real potential. I like to swim several strokes and I don’t limit myself by just one or two strokes. I always feel accomplished and mentally relaxed after hard practices. I think it is a mixture of both exercise and fun at the same time.

My best friends are definitely my teammates. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by them. They give me strength during the hard practices and competitions. Working with several coaches has also given me different perspectives. I have been fortunate to have coaches who have motivated me and believed in me. They have taught me how to win and how to lose gracefully. 

After practices I concentrate on my school lessons easily and they lower my stress level of the exams. Swimming develops my skills such as self-discipline, goal settings, leadership, team work and commitment. I’m also disciplined with my time management.

As a passionate student and swimmer, I feel very excited about the possibility of continuing my academic and swimming career in the US. I have a desire to swim competitively at the college level. I’m looking for a school which will provide an equally challenging academic and sports environment. I look forward to communicating with coaches who feel I am a right fit for their teams.