A: Hannah Pugh
Q: What are you involved with here at ONW?
A: I am involved in Raven Service Club, swim team, Avid, and that's it.
Q: How long have you been involved with swimming?
A: I have been swimming for about 10 years.
Q: What made you want to swim in the first place?
A: I was diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 6, and I was playing soccer at that time, it was too hard on my joints. My neighbor who coaches for Olathe East swim team said that he had a high school student who had arthritis and she swam because it helped with joint pain. So I tried it out and ended up loving it.
Q: Where all have you swam at?
A: Olathe lightning, Cyclones, COOL, and ONW swim team.
Q: Who is a swimmer that inspires you?
A: I would probably say Missy Franklin or Natalie Caughlin because they are both strong girl swimmers. Natalie is kind of like me because she is a backstroker and ever since I was little I wanted to be like her, like a strong women figure. She has a lot of muscle, she's super pretty and she's just amazing at back stroke and how Missy is so young and how she could pull of being in the olympics and a normal high school student.
Q: What are some of the relationships you have made through swimming?
A: I have met a lot of friends through swimming from different schools that I would have never met if I wasn't swimming. It's nice, we go to practice and we all can talk like one big family, we know each other so well and we are just really close.
Q: How has being a swimmer impacted your life?
A: It teaches me that I need to balance my time with school and swimming. It's taught me that I can really do anything I put my mind too, and also that I can do unexpected things that I never though I was able to do.
Q: Describe any struggles you have had along the way?
A: I have had struggles with my arthritis and my joint pain. Swimming is supposed to help with it but certain strokes do hurt and I have to know where my limit is and I can't push myself over that limit, there is a point where I need to stop, most kids can keep going and should, but if I keep going I may cause my joints to be in more pain, and hurt them.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish from swimming?
A: My main overall goal is to make it to the olympic trials and I will not probably make it to the olympics because that is a lot of time and training but I would just like to be able to experience the olympic trials with other top swimmers.
Q: What are some of your accomplishments so far?
A: Out of our whole swim team each year we have awards for males and females, and out of all the girls I got female of the year award, last year. I also got a "heart and soul" which is like you always put your time and effort and you love what you're doing. I also qualified for state and got 9th in the 100 backstroke.
Q: What advice do you have to give young aspiring swimmers?
A: There may be some days where you don't want to go to practice or swimming but you should go because it's going to make your day better, it's going to make you as a person better, and a stronger swimmer. And that you should never give up even if you're getting slow and feel like you aren't getting anywhere just keep going and always give it your 100% and you'll eventually get to where you want to be in the end.
Q: Do you plan to do something with swimming later in your life?
A: I want to swim in college and then after college I will probably be done, but maybe coach swim if that is something I feel like doing.
Q: What are your biggest hopes and fears about swimming?
A: My biggest fear is that I won't get faster, like I practice a lot but don't get to where I want to be, which is olympic trials, or that I don't love it as much as I do right now. My biggest hope is that I will qualify for olympic trial cuts and swim in college.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: Swimming is a sport, for everyone who doesn't think it is, because we use a lot of muscle. We use our legs when kicking, we use arms for pulling, we use abs when flipping. We use every single muscle possible and it's not easy.
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