It is such an exciting environment, nothing like I could have dreamed of doing back in Australia. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. While a lot of people think Australia and America are similar countries there are a lot of differences between us and learning about their way of life and values has really opened my eyes. In my first year alone I have made some lifelong friends and memories that I will never forget. As an athlete I feel I have become more team orientated. Being a track athlete you can lose teamwork and sportsmanship because your events are individual. I’m forever grateful for my team, they have made me more driven to be the best I can be and have shown me what it’s truly like to be a part of a team. It’s so nice, we all train together, eat lunch and dinner together, and travel to competitions together I couldn’t have asked for a nicer, more welcoming group of teammates.

Honestly in the least cliché way you and your company changed my life. I have been given the most amazing opportunity and I’m so very thankful for it and all the hard work you all do in making our dreams and goals come true. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. I’d love to see the newsletter when it comes out.

I think the thing I like best about school is the friends I’ve made. When you live, eat, train, study, and do everything with the people around you (mostly your sports team), you kind of naturally get along with them. I think I’ve most improved with the mental aspect of the sport. Because I love everyone on the swim team, I’ve never been happier and more excited to go to training, and we all encourage each other during the session. It makes the monotony a little easier.