Kaylee Collins '22 Recruiting Profile

Last season was a very difficult season for me.  I was having a really hard time reaching new personal bests, which really took a toll on my confidence.  Last year was also my first year on two swim teams (club and now high school) so I had to learn how to balance my grades and swimming.  I decided to work out at the gym all summer long, and even gained some of my confidence back because I could see how the workouts were really changing my body for the better.  I realized earlier this year that I was in a very bad plateau after I was having a very hard time dropping time again.  As soon as highschool practice started though I realized that I had to grind in order to get better.  In determination to break through my plateau, I began to swim double practices (about three to four hours each night) and suddenly I began to drop more and more time.  I dropped about twenty seconds this year alone in my two hundred freestyle and finally broke 2:30 at a major meet.  At the last two major meets of the season, I also broke a major milestone in my 500 free, breaking seven minutes and reaching a time of 6:50 (over forty seconds off my best highschool time and fifteen from my best club time).  I feel like my confidence to always be better really sets me apart from other swimmers.  Even when I am exhausted I still push through knowing that I can drop more and more time.  I also have the determination that can make someone very successful in life, which I am always praised for.   Even when I have a good race, I talk to my coaches and see what I can do better next time.  I always have the attitude of "I can do better next time" no matter what kind of race it was.