Winter is here and with that comes winter sports! And I have been assigned to do an article on one sport you would not think of in these dark and cold times, swimming! Now I have no prior knowledge or experience with competitive swimming, but my own lovely teacher Ms. McIntyre was a former swim team member at McNary High School in Keizer, Oregon. So if anything this article is for you Ms. McIntyre! Now in an attempt to learn more about this very wet and deep sport I interviewed one of the three swim captains, Kylie Kue. When I met with her she was very polite, and mature but you could tell she had the mentality of someone who is ready for all competition who may oppose her or our CHS swim team.

Kue is definitely the type of person who would be an athlete is what I first thought- fit, intelligent, and an aura of skill revolving around her like the planets going around the sun. My first question was how exactly did she become a swim captain here at CHS. She smiled and said “The coach (Rodney Lundgren) talked and said it was a natural decision with my leadership.” Kylie expressed how she almost has a mother mentality with the swim team being her children. Kue described how she has and I quote “[Been] swimming since [she] was born, so the swim team was a natural choice for [her].” Kylie then with a serious look in her eyes explained how this upcoming season worries her in certain ways “I am a little worried about this season because COVID has impacted not only my physical but my mental preparation.”

Kue explained how without the right mindset, things in swimming can go wrong real fast. She spoke of how in the past while competing when other competitors who were nervous, she could feel it almost like a 6th sense and she knew that she already had them. So naturally knowing this she described the importance of her mental preparation and just her psyche as a whole. Kylie told me a story of how once she quit club swimming in order to protect and strengthen her mental state as she simply felt that it was a toxic place for her and that kind of strength to do something like that shows that Kylie is a born athlete and winner. But despite her own worries Kue said that she had full confidence in our swim team. She described them as being ready for this upcoming season and has full belief that if you were to bet money on a swimmer, you should bet on the one wearing the Centennial Eagles colors!

When asking Kue about her biggest strength as an athlete, she said with a straightforward yet passionate voice “To be able to know my boundaries.” She then explained how but knowing what she can and can’t do she is able to not only play to her strengths but is able to surpass her limits. I then thanked her for her time and let Kylie go back to the math class she is no doubt in and made my way back to the Talon office to write this very article you are reading now. In conclusion I feel very confident in our chances this upcoming swim season. With people like Kylie Kue and a squad of dedicated and deadly eagles, I pity any and all who may oppose us in this noble aquatic sport. Oh and one more thing Barlow on December 12th say your prayers!