Image – Girls with automatic qualifying times for CIF: Claire Oppedahl, Brianna Griffiths, Kylie Bell, and Kate Thompson
To kick off a new blog series highlighting some of our outstanding athletes, we thought we’d give a shoutout to the exceedingly talented Kylie Bell. Kylie Bell, a freshman, is one of the top swimmers this year at THS. Below, learn a bit more about Kylie and what she has to say about this year’s swim season.
So Kylie, to begin, can you tell me a little about yourself?
I’m in 9th grade, and I’m on the Templeton High School swim team.
What are you involved in on campus besides swim?
Not much actually; pretty much just swim. I did cross country at the beginning of the school year, and that’s about it.
What do you like to do outside of school?
Swim. That’s about all I do.
What is your history with sports and athletics?
I grew up swimming. I’ve swum since I was 3, and I also played soccer for a while. I’ve never really tried any other sports. I started cross-country this year because of my brother.
What got you started swimming?
My dad grew up swimming. He was a lifeguard and a swim coach for a while. Usually when you start your kids in sports, you start with something that’s familiar for you, and swimming was familiar for my dad.
You and your brother are both outstanding athletes. How do you account for this? Does athleticism run in the family?
I think we all really love sports. My other brother – my little brother, Trevor – he’s pretty athletic too. He skis – he’s really good at that – and he swims. I think it’s athleticism, but I also think we’re all very hardworking, we have good mindsets, and we love exercise. I think it’s those things too.
So you were raised with a love of sports?
I think when my siblings and I were younger we were all kind of pushed into sports. But as we’ve grown up, we’ve gotten used to it. I appreciate it now that they did that.
How do you feel about the swim season so far?
I think it’s fun so far. Our crew this year is pretty good, and we just had our first meet on Friday. We won that, and I think that was a good start.
What does it mean to you to be a part of THS Swim?
I have known a lot of the people there for a while because they’re also on my club team, and I’ve been swimming with them for a long time. Swim is really fun and I’m glad I get to do it because it’s something that I truly enjoy.
What is the best part of THS Swim, and what do you enjoy about the sport?
The best part of THS Swim, I’m going to say, so far, is the people there.They’re all really nice and good to swim with. My favorite part about the sport is how it makes you feel good after you work out. It’s so hard, but it’s a good kind of pain.
Is there anything you don’t like about swim?
Not being able to breathe.
What is the most challenging part about being a student athlete?
I would say the hardest part about being a student athlete is getting things done. I don’t have a lot of free time on my hands to spend with friends and family. But, for the most part, I get everything done.
Can you describe what a normal practice looks like for you?
We all show up to practice, do a little bit of stretching, and then we start with our warmup. Then we do a pre-set that just gets our muscles working, and then we do our main set, which is usually pretty hard. After that we’ll do a kick set or a relay, something like that, just to make practice end with something that’s enjoyable for everybody.
What are you most looking forward to for the rest of this season?
Our first meet was pretty fun, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the meets and seeing how we all improve, especially in our relays. Relays are really fun.
What are your goals for the rest of this year—scholastic, athletic, or otherwise?
Probably to break records and just overall be successful with swimming. For school, end with straight A’s. That’s it.
What are your plans for the rest of high school?
Just pretty much what I’ve done this year—school, sports, staying dedicated to what I’m focused on in life—just getting it all done.
Do you have plans for after high school? If so, what are they?
I want to go to a four-year college, and I want to major in something like interior design, because I enjoy that. I want to join a swim team in college as well.
Awesome, I don’t have any other questions for you. Is there anything you’d like to add?
Nope!
Many thanks to Kylie for this interview! We wish her and the rest of the swim team all the best for their season. We’re so excited to see what Kylie and her teammates achieve and what records they crush in the months to come. Let’s go Eagles!
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