Madison Wright '20 Recruiting Profile

I'm currently a junior at Lenoir City High School in Lenoir City TN.  I've been swimming competitively since I jointed our local neighborhood's summer recreation league team when I was six years old. My parents put my sister and I on the team at the recommendation of our swimming teachers for a way to strengthen our swimming skills. But that decision by my parents to put me on the swim team to be a better swimmer so I would be safe and unafraid around water turned out to be much more. From the first year of swimming on the recreation league team I loved swimming and competing and since that first year and ever year since I have made the Greater Knoxville Area Interclub Swimming Association (GKAISA) City Meet Championship Finals in multiple events and many times finishing in the top 3 & 4. As I grew older my parents and I started to understand that swimming and competing against the top competitors in GKAISA while only swimming two and half months per year was a natural ability. I always loved and enjoyed practicing and competing with my team and as we moved into middle school  and high school with these same team mate and still being able to always qualify for the middle and high school finals in individual and relay events was exciting. While many people approached my parents about they should consider putting my sister and I on a USA Club team they held off because of time and that they didn't want to take the chance of us getting burned out at a young age. They eventually allowed us to join one of the local club teams and I've been competing at that level for the last couple of years. While the practices were much harder than anything I had experienced before I really enjoyed it and the sense of accomplishment of pushing through this type of training. I really appreciate my parents for giving me the opportunity of the last couple of years to swim club along with high school and summer rec. league event though I know the club swimming was very burdensome for them financially and the fact it took us an hours to get to practice. But I know it helped me tremendously and help me understand that I know I have yet to reach my potential in swimming. I know for a fact once I get into a college program that focuses on the full spectrum of development I will be a much better and faster swimmer. But with all that said swimming has taught me so much about commitment, hard work, goals and understand myself to be successful I need trust and listen to those that have gone ahead of me and know the road I'm traveling. I better understand achievement does not come on it's own, it's something you have to work for and be able to change when needed and it will be part of all areas of life for ever.

Other enjoyments of my life are spending time with family. We enjoy hiking and trail biking and camping with my mom's parents. I enjoy family vacations and spending time on my mom's aunts farm riding and caring for my aunts horses. Family is important to me and will never be able to thank my mom and dad and grandparents enough for all their love, support and encouragement in all I've ever pursued. I especially can't say enough for all my dad has done for me in sacrificing so much time and effort to help me with my swimming from learning the about the sport of swimming, volunteering and becoming a certified official for my summer rec. team, developing training gear to help me become a better swimmer, hours and hours taking me to the pool on our own time other than practice to help me, getting up at 3:15 am for over two years to take me to early morning practice and just being there for me through those up and downs of swimming during those times of long plateaus when my times stayed flat.

My plans at this time for my career will be to pursue a degree in nursing. I'm not sure at this point to what level I will take this career except to become a RN with a speciality in Neo-Natal care. I've always been drawn to wanting to help children and have thought about even being a pediatrician and maybe that is where I may end up. I'll see as my future unfolds.