By Jessica Pierce
Editor-in-Chief
There are many talented athletes at Reynolds, but one young lady stands out not only for her talent in the water, but for her ability to balance friends, rigorous academics and swim practice at 5:45 every morning.
Senior Laura Johnson has been swimming since she was 5 years old, when she joined the swim team at the YMCA while her mom worked out. She has three siblings who also swim.
Johnson hasn’t stopped since. Her senior year at Reynolds will mark her 13th year as a swimmer. Johnson is now captain of the Reynolds team and also participates on “Enfinity,” an age-group swim team for teenagers.
“It’s just for more advanced swimmers than you would have on a high school team,” Johnson said. “And we travel for meets.”
Her dedication to swimming shows.
“She has a strong background in the sport and an equally strong character,” said Alex Black, the coach of the Reynolds swim team. “Her character and speed are shining examples of what any swimmer might aspire to be.”
Swimming has always come easily for Johnson, but schedule conflicts sometimes get in the way of her practice with the Demons. Johnson’s coach is understanding, however, and respects the fact that she has to miss practice for swim meets outside of school.
“We have a strong legacy and tradition on the Reynolds swim team that certainly goes back further than most,” Black said. “(Laura’s) strengths as a captain help to maintain and ensure those traditions.”
Attending practices for two swim teams is a challenge and the schedule for Reynolds isn’t easy to handle. Practice begins at 5:45 and ends at 7:15 each morning. Combined with a heavy load of five Advanced Placement classes, Johnson shows that she is truly dedicated to the sport.
“Over the years I’ve had to learn to stay disciplined and keep organized in order to get everything accomplished,” Johnson said.
Black said the hardest part of being on the swim team was maintaining the appropriate balance between athletics and academics, but “(Laura) makes it look easy.”
Johnson claimed that one of the hardest parts of being on the swim team is watching all the seniors leave. Johnson claimed she will probably not join a swim team when she goes to college, but might join a club team. She has applied to five schools but has not decided where she wants to attend.
No matter where Johnson ends up going to college, her legacy will always remain with the Reynolds swim team and the impact she has had on the people around her. Her athletic ability is mirrored by her dedication to her school work and determination to succeed.
“I’ve been swimming with Laura since I was 6,” junior Breck Radulovic said. “I’ve always admired her dedication to the sport.”