| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable childhood experience is from first grade, when I dislocated my neck in a trampoline accident. This was quite possibly the most painful experience of my life. I remember that I would have most likely had pins set in my neck that would have required surgery if a specialist hadn’t been there that day, and that the nurse couldn’t get an IV in my wrist, no matter how hard she tried. Today, whenever I am upset with chances over something stupid, I remind myself that I used up all of the luck I could ever expect to have by just surviving the incident. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify most with the younger of my sisters. We all enjoy when we have lots of family and friends over, but we're the two in the family who need to take a break from being social all the time. This, and that we used to walk home from school together, really gave us an opportunity to bond. We each understand perfectly when the other is frustrated or upset with something or someone. We've both had to deal with rough patches in our swimming careers, and so she's been the best emotional support for a disappointing season in swim. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I value honesty and sincerity above all else in people. I think that being open in communication is one of the most important aspects of being not just a good friend, but a good person. I also admire being hardworking and industrious, because I recognize how difficult it can be to find motivation to get something done, when there are so many other things that would be more enjoyable to do. It really comes down to self-discipline, which both Tae Kwon Do and swimming have taught me is the most important aspect of improving and putting in work. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I don’t know what the funniest thing to ever happen to me is. What I do know is that a lot of the humor in my life comes from being with my very close friends, and that it’s very in-the-moment humor. A couple of my best friends told me that no matter how down they’re feeling, I manage to cheer them up. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | There are a few places I would go, if time and money were not an issue. I want to go across New Zealand, Germany, Alaska, and Canada. I would go for natural scenery, and the cold weather in Germany, Alaska, and Canada. I have been to cities in Alaska and parts of Germany before, but I would want to travel all across these places to see the scenery of each place. Because I speak German, I would be more comfortable travelling across Germany just to see the differences in different states. Also, the food there was absolutely incredible, and I need to go back at some point, and learn to cook German cuisine. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | Never stop trying new things. Life is what we make of it, so I'd like to teach them to do what they love and to branch out into other areas, whether it be academically, athletically, or just in random hobbies, to discover if there's something they really love doing. |
