I have never met anyone as sweet, easy to talk to, and passionate about swimming as Brisa G. ‘26. When I sat down to talk with her about the girls’ swim and dive (swive) season, her love for swimming and the team shone through her bright smile and enthusiastic voice. Brisa normally practices six times a week at a pool 2 1/2 hours away round-trip, and her level of dedication really paid off this year; she qualified for five of the eight events at the state championships and broke the school record for the 200-yard individual medley. 

This interview has been edited for grammar and paraphrased for clarity.

When did you first get into swimming?

I first got into swimming when I was in China and my mom signed me up. I was pretty motivated. I also joined my school swim team at the time, and I made a lot [of] friends that way, so I kept swimming when I came here. … I was 6 when I first started swimming. I remember we had 5:00 a.m. practices, and it was kind of brutal, but it got me used to waking up early.

What is your favorite swive memory?

[It] has to be the 2024 Claremont trip [the swive team took over the summer]. I just remember, like, everyone was having lots of fun. We got to do posters, we got to do bracelet making, it was just so sunny, [and] it was all around a great trip. We got to peek into college swimming.

What is the swimming accomplishment that you are most proud of and why?

I feel like the most electric memory I can think of is the 200 free relay from state this year. I thought it would be hard to break [the school record] since we broke it last year, but this year, there are a lot of good 50 [yard] free swimmers out there. The atmosphere was there; the opponents were really good. We weren’t going for the record; we just wanted to swim fast and do our best, but since we broke the record, it just made it even more special.

How do you balance swimming with schoolwork and other activities?

To be fair, my main extracurricular is swimming, so I mostly prioritize swimming and schoolwork, but if I’m really behind, I let my coach know I’ll be practicing at a local pool so I can get more schoolwork done. 

What is your biggest motivation to do well?

It’s not just [that] I want to do well as an athlete and a student, but also … of the people who believe in me. I just want [to] do better. I just picture [myself when I was] the girl who just started swimming. 

If you could pick up any other sport, what would it be and why?

I’m actually not sure. I’m split between track and field … and diving. Running is super accessible, and my mom and grandmother ran, not super competitively, but they still inspire me. My mom, even though she has busy work to do, she goes running. I also think diving would … work. But something with the water. I just love being in the water, it’s … very therapeutic. Because I’m also, like, a very artsy person — I take Drawing and Painting and I really love it. … I’ve been taking it since freshman year, and I’ve been taking drawing lessons outside of school since 8th grade. And I really … appreciate watching synchronized diving.

How do you handle the pressure from meets?

I have been to a lot of meets; I don’t feel the pressure as much [as I used to]. But other than that, right before the race, I’ll take a few deep breaths, and 30-15 minutes [beforehand], I’ll eat a small snack, and basically warm up to make [myself] feel mentally prepared … I don’t have a warmup set. I love drills — I do a lot of drills, because it really helps my technique.

What is your practice routine/how often do you practice?

We have six club practices every week, but I also usually miss Friday practices because I have a private lesson, and I do group swimming on Sunday. You kind of get used to it; it sounds like a lot. I do this … pre-swim practice workout, it’s like PT work, and it gets me mentally prepared.

Do you prefer private or group lessons? 

Definitely swimming as a group; it’s just so much fun that way. There’s … the team aspect, and you get to push and be pushed by others.

Is there anything else you wanted to add?

Well honestly, I want to thank everyone who is on LGSD. It really made my high school experience memorable, and it’s really the reason I know people across grades, and I’m really thankful for the memories it brought.