Life in the Water

At my first ever water polo practice in 2009, I cried until my parents took me home. I did not have the foresight to know that water polo would turn into more than just a sport, it would be my newfound passion.

​

I laid the foundation to my water polo career at Riverside Water Polo Club when I was nine years old. I quickly became addicted to watching my hard work come to fruition and competing with players from water polo oriented communities. My competitive spirit and drive led me to join SOCAL Water Polo Club located in the next county from Riverside. I drove over two hours every day to play with the best players in the nation. At SOCAL, my team and I won five Junior Olympic medals, two of them being gold. Apart from club water polo, I became involved with the Olympic Development Program (a pipeline for young players to the Olympic Team). Throughout my years with them, I earned spots on several national teams including the Development, Cadet, Youth, and Junior National Teams.

 

I started getting recruited to the top colleges in the nation as a junior in high school. My senior year, I committed to play water polo at Stanford University. Stanford is the top team in the nation and has played in more National Championship games than any other water polo team, including eleven out of the past twelve National Championship games. Stanford has won eight Division 1 National Championships, including two while I was on the team.

 

Every day, I practiced with Olympic gold medalists and was coached by the world’s most renowned coaches. I know what hard work looks and feels like because hopping in a pool and hitting the weight room for four hours a day, six days a week at 100% pushes you to your mental and physical limits and requires grit, resiliency, and willpower.

 

I ended my freshman and senior seasons with two NCAA Division 1 National Championship rings after beating USC in both Championships. Ask to see my ring collection! My senior year, I was elected co-captain by my coaches as my teammates. Leading a team with players of all levels—from walk-ons to the best in the world—I focused on crafting a culture that empowered players to discover their individual potential and encouraged relationships that energized the team to win together.