Grace

It’s surreal that my time as a Mount Vernon Park Gator is almost over. When my mom signed me up when I was 7, I didn’t know a lot of people, didn’t know how to put on my cap, and couldn’t make it all the way across the pool. Now as an 18-year-old, I still have to get help putting my cap on, but I have lifelong friends, amazing memories, and can make it across the pool quite quickly. For 12 years, my summer has consisted of the gators and I don’t know what I am going to do without it.

Some of my all-time favorite memories are from this team, some of them being winning a race the first time, beating my personal bests, or making it to all-star relays when I was 12. Other ones come from practice, like the first time I watched the big kids play water polo, seeing Cameron Moray actively try to drown Tori Bolger. I have made lifelong friends that I will never forget, and I got to hang out with them every day, whether it was swimming in practice and meets, or eating pancakes and playing hide and seek at the Hepburn-Fore household. I owe so much of how I’ve grown up and turned out to this team, and I am extremely grateful that I got to be a part of such an awesome community for so long.

To finish this off, I would like to thank everyone who has made being a part of this community special. From my coaches and team reps along the years, to my friends that have done it all along with me, to the younger kids that make showing up to coaching an absolute joy, to the parent volunteers who set up, run, and then take down meets, and finally to my parents, who have pushed me and cheered me on since day one. Sincerely, thank you! And a message to anyone who reads this, whether you’re a parent or a swimmer, don’t take this community for granted and strive to make the most out of everything you do as a Gator. It truly has been the best experience! Thank you again, and forever and always, Go Gators!

For the second part, I am going to the University of Vermont next year, majoring in biology on a pre-med track. I will also be rowing on the club team for Vermont.