I am a rising eighth grader at Herbert Hoover Middle School. I went to the pool regularly with my family at the age of four and began competitive swimming at the age of seven. In the beginning, I wasn’t great at it, I could barely even do freestyle, let alone any of the other strokes. Through many ups and downs, I formed an unbreakable bond with swimming. This sport, my amazing coaches, and teammates by my side helped build me into the person I am today. Personally, swimming clears the mind of any stress. When I’m in the pool, no matter how tough the work is, I can push everything else to the side and just focus on one thing: swim! That is why I joined Waves4Change, so that other people can have the opportunity to participate in the activity that I love the most and reach their full potential.