Sophomore Morgan Austrich was four years old when she first learned to swim. These first strokes ended up taking her down the road of competitive swimming and continued to follow her into high school. 

“I was really excited to do high school swim,” Austrich said. “I’m a breaststroker, so I normally swim the 100 breast and 200 AIM [an individual medley or a race containing every swim stroke] and relays.” 

Whether it’s waking up early for practice or spending a weekend in the pool, time is a major factor when it comes to swim.  

“In the summer I swim six days a week, four hours a day, and during the school year I swim six days a week for three hours a day.” Austrich said. “Swimming helps me manage my time and stay motivated in school.”  

An array of different training regiments is put into practice, and training is taken very seriously. Diet is especially crucial to keep up with the amount of energy put into the sport. 

“It’s challenging because you have to work really hard, and everyone’s really fast.” Austrich said. “I probably eat like four times as much food as a normal person, and I try to eat healthy, but that doesn’t always work.” 

The tremendous time and effort put into swim is not without reward though. Austrich was able to see her achievements in swim was when she went to States last year. 

“Last year I swam at States and I got sixth at the 100 breaststroke, and our team [women’s team] got second place overall.” Austrich said. “It’s really fun to go to a meet and see your hard work paying off.” 

The hours Autrich spends training for swimming are also hours spent with a team. 

“It’s really fun to work as a team,” Austrich said. “Especially in [the] high school season, there is so much emphasis done on how well the team does. We’re very motivated and determined and it’s honestly such a fun thing to do; we all push each other.” 

While still enjoying high school swim for now, Austrich has made plans for the future. 

“I want to swim in college,” Austrich said. “That’s my goal.”  

The years spent by the pool have taught Austrich many lessons she can use outside of the water. 

“Swimming has definitely changed me so much as a person,” Austrich said. “It’s taught me so much about defeat and victories and working with other people.”