After swimming for several years since age 10, junior and Italian exchange student Anna Guidice stopped swimming in Italy. Upon arriving in the States, she decided that it was time to try again, having no expectations but getting the opportunity to swim. For her first season on the team, the girls swim team broke two records, including their own, and finished with a 7-1 regular season record.
Despite swimming for a long time, she still had to adjust to the dynamic of the sport here in America.
Aside from measuring races in yards rather than meters, Giudice was most taken by the focus on the team, rather than the individual swimmer. “The way the coaches teach us, and also the meets and competitions are really different,” Giudice said. She specifically mentions that teams are actually scored here, as well as an overall difference in coaching, saying, “I feel here they care more about creating a team.”
As the season went on, Giudice, a butterfly and freestyle swimmer, and her team, went on to have successful meets. Some of their most notable were a 183-97 win over Broad Run and a 191-61 win over Park View.
“Anna was definitely such a great surprise,” junior Emerson Gatlin said. “I knew she swam, but I didn’t know she was so good. She definitely helped a lot.”
In Italy, Giudice mentions that there are no high school teams or even clubs, forcing students to become involved in sports outside of school. Having the opportunity to be involved in the school community has been a notable difference in her time at an American high school.
“I’m really happy, I have never been able to even swim for a high school,” Guidice said. She also mentions how much more she prefers school life here especially because it is more interactive with many opportunities to become involved.
As a big part of Giudice’s move to the States, she’s been living with her host family, who has been incredibly supportive.
“They’ve never missed one,” Giudice said. “For states, they’re coming all the way to Richmond.”
At States on March 3, the team consistently placed high in 200 and 400 freestyle, butterfly, and medley relays. For a combined total of 385 points, the team won first place at states. Although not staying for next year, Guidice hopes the team can still be successful, saying, “I think that the team will do really well next year because they are all very good swimmers. I am really happy about this experience.”
