Anna Schmidt '21 Recruiting Profile

Hello! My name is Anna Schmidt. I am a 16-year-old at Roncalli High School in Aberdeen, South Dakota. I have been a part of the Aberdeen Swim Club since I started swimming at the age of 8.  I instantly fell in love with the sport. Swimming has taught me many valuable lessons about who I am and life in general. Through the sport, I have learned that nothing worth having comes easily.  Swimming has taught me that I am much stronger than I would have ever imagined and that almost anything can be accomplished as long as I am willing to work for it. There have been many highs in my swimming career but the most valuable lessons I have learned when I am struggling. For a very long time, my goal was to break a minute in the 100 fly.  Time after time I fell short of that goal. Through those difficult races, I learned to pick my head up, be proud of the small improvements, and go back to practice prepared to do whatever it would take to break a minute. When I finally achieved my goal, it felt great knowing that all my hard work and perseverance had paid off. I always set my goals high and push myself to achieve them. As a 7th grader, I swam at the Sectional Swim Meet and qualified for Futures the summer going into my sophomore year. Besides accomplishing individual goals, I enjoy swimming on relay teams.  My teammates are my support in and out of the water. I am able to share my love of the swimming by teaching children in our Learn to Swim lesson program and through private swim lessons. I am a hardworking, dedicated athlete and I am hoping to continue my swimming career as a college athlete.