Jessica O’Brien '20 Recruiting Profile

I started swimming when I was six because I didn’t want to go to dance class anymore. I knew I loved to swim, but I didn’t realize that it would turn into such a huge aspect of my life and teach me so many valuable lessons along the way. I joined the Monroe Woodbury Marlins and I instantly fell in love with the sport. I loved the competition and it gave me drive to push myself. I made the varsity swim team in 7th grade. At first, I was terrified of the seniors, but they became my biggest inspiration. That year, I discovered the significance of pain and earned Rookie of the Year. I remember and admire their leadership and used it to push myself to my absolute limit. I learned how such intricate adjustments set me apart from other swimmers and saw so many areas that I could keep improving. I am very coachable and still look for and use these teachable opportunities to better my techniques and times. These adjustments and hard work have helped me qualify for States in my freshman and junior years. As a team Captain, I follow by my seniors’ examples and encourage other members of our team to push their limits too.

I use this same mindset of hard work and dedication in the classroom as well. I am very academically driven and I know the consequences that come from hard work. As people say, life is not a spectator sport.  My goal is to pursue a degree at a good college and compete in the pool on a collegiate level. Countless early practices and hours spent on deck reaching for that goal and getting that needed time down to hundredths of a second takes a strong mind and healthy mental habits. Focus, determination and ongoing dedication have brought me here. Knowing that there is always room for improvement is the same lesson I will carry with me through my next chapters as well. I am a better, stronger, more well-rounded person because of swimming and it has only made me want to achieve more.  I know these qualities set me apart from other athletes and will make me an asset to any collegiate program of which I am invited to be a part.