Sila Yurttas '21 Recruiting Profile

Hi! My name is Sila, for pronunciation purposes it rhymes with gorilla :) 

I was inspired to start swimming competitively in the 2nd grade after watching my older brother. I acted on that inspiration and decided to join NSAC. This was my first time truly swimming. I had a slow start as the experience was so new to me but the fact that swimming allowed me to be self reliant and independent drove me to work as hard as possible.

My natural tendency is to give 100% effort into everything I do, no matter how small the task. This translates into diligence both in school and in the pool. I enjoy pushing myself and I thrive off challenges. I challenge myself academically by taking rigorous courses, and athletically by swimming my worst events at meets. I make a conscious effort to pay more attention to my weaker strokes in order to be a more well-rounded swimmer. 

For college, I plan on going into the medical field to study either gynecology or sports therapy. I’ve known from a young age that I wanted to help people by entering public health. For example, I want to disassociate the stigma of embarrassment or hesitation when going to a gynecologist by making it as comfortable and accessible as possible for everyone. 

Outside of swimming and school, I am involved in the Turkish American Association of Minnesota (TAAM). I do traditional Turkish folk dancing that is performed at various events throughout the year. In addition, I volunteer with TAAM to teach little kids some folk dances that are performed more sparsely. 

This year, I was voted to be a captain of the Mounds View Girls Swim and Dive team. Leading the team comes with numerous responsibilities and due to my already busy schedule, the job can be especially difficult at times. However, my time management skills keep me from being too overwhelmed and help me stay focused.