Eva Pace
Reporter
@espcourant
Most high school students complain about having to wake up at 6:15 every morning to get to school by 7:30, but to the swimmers and divers at NCHS, that’s sleeping in. Not only do they have to show up to school with wet hair, but also they wake up at the crack of dawn for morning swim practices. But for senior co-captain Katie Colwell, it’s all worth it.
Even though Katie is now a leader of the girls varsity swim and dive team, both as a captain and on the scoreboards, she only started year round swimming in the eighth grade in preparation for the high school team. Boys and girls swim and dive coach David Fine knows that Katie had to work to get to where she is today. “Katie came in as a freshman who was new to the sport, and was not really at the state level nor any higher levels than that,” Coach Fine said. “By the time she came back sophomore year she was one of the top freestylers in the state.”
Katie was a national qualifier, one of the top freestylers on the team and a big part of relays, even made the state open meet. For the past two years she’s been an All-American, state record holder and school record holder.
However, Katie does not attribute her immense growth to any particular coach or person in her life. “No one, not even my parents, has ever put pressure on me to swim, it has all been my decision,” she said.
Even Katie finds answering why she swims hard to put into words, especially considering the commitment that it takes. “I think it’s hard to explain why I swim to a lot of people, and of course I’ve had those times where I have considered quitting, because it asks a lot out of your time,” Katie said. “I can never really pinpoint why I swim, except for that I do it for my team, myself, and the feeling when you touch the wall at a best time.”
Katie has had a profound impact on those around her, particularly her co-captains Meghan Egan and Libby O’Hare, both in and out of the pool. “Katie’s so upbeat, which is definitely hard to keep up with in early morning practices, but it is awesome having her continuous positivity around,” Meghan said.
All of the captains have their own talents in leading the team, and there is an all-around consensus that Katie’s skill is team-bonding. “She’s really into team bonding
activities, which motivates us to do more for the team and make sure it’s fun for everyone,” Libby said. “Katie really looks out for everyone on the team and makes sure that everything’s good and there’s no drama.”
However, Meghan and Libby both know that along with being a supportive teammate, Katie is an extremely talented swimmer. “During races, I swear if you put anyone next to her she’ll take them down. She’s so fast and she goes after it, it’s amazing to watch,” Libby said.
Katie’s sister, sophomore Lizzy Colwell, started swimming alongside Katie when she was in the sixth grade, and she feels that her sister was motivation for her to become a better athlete. “Lizzy was always the prodigy and I was pushed aside, which got me really jealous, and motivated me to work really hard in practice because she’s my younger sister and I of course wanted to beat her,” Katie said.
Now that she’s made her mark, Katie wants to be a good role model for her sister who is aspiring to follow in her footsteps. “I hope she looks up to me not only as the best person on the team but also as the loudest team player who supports other people,” she said.
Nonetheless, swimming together has provided a unique opportunity for the siblings to see each other grow. “It has some up and downs seeing your sister so much,” Lizzy said. “It’s a different relationship, especially when you’re in the same sport, which I think makes us closer in that sense.”
Katie’s hard work did not go unnoticed, as she recently signed her National Letter of Intent to Oakland University, a Division I school. “I’m really hoping to improve a lot there, maybe even to the point where at least by my senior year in college I’ll be going to Olympic trials,” Katie said.
Her bright ambition for her future is mirrored for her hopes about the team. “We just won FCIACs which was surprising, considering we got 4th my freshman year and runner up every year after that,” Katie said. “I think in future years the swim team will grow and progress because every year since my freshman year our team has gotten closer, which is really important in meets and our performance.”
Katie has proven her leadership is worthy of being commended not only by swimmers, but by all athletes. According to coach Fine, Katie is a prime example of how you don’t have to be born with athletic skill to rise to the top. “I love the movie Ratatouille, where a chef named Gustav says ‘anyone can cook,’” coach Fine said. “If you really believe in yourself and put the work into it, you can achieve great things, and Katie’s someone who really illustrates that.”
