By Nashby Carbajal, Staff Writer
Indian Trail High School & Academy is a place full of talent. There are outstanding students from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences. From music, to academics, to athletic achievements, Indian Trail is packed with excellent teens, one of them being Shelby Haines, a general studies senior.
Haines is a four-time state competitor in swimming. She started off at a young age and worked her way up from there.
“I’ve been swimming since I was about 9 or 10 years old, and I started on the Kenosha Barracuda Swim Team,” she said.
Competitive swimming took a lot of hard work and commitment, but she couldn’t have done it by herself. Haines has received a lot of help, support, and encouragement from her family, friends, coaches, and her faith.
“They all helped shape me into the person and swimmer I am today,” she said.
Haines’ love for swim surfaced the moment she touched the water. She fell in love with the fact that it’s an individual sport that requires grit and challenges her not only with her competitors, but herself as well. Haines has had a great time swimming and competing but along with the great experiences, come the challenges.
“I’d say the biggest challenge I faced was during my junior year,” Haines recalled. “I was doing really well throughout the season, but after conference I was starting to get really sick. I qualified in all of my events for state at sectionals, but my doctor ordered me not to compete and I had to rest for a couple months.”
Coming back from doing nothing for that long and “not feeling the water every day” was very difficult for Haines, but with the help and encouragement from her coach, family, and friends, she quickly got back into her routine. Although Haines didn’t win any of her state competitions, she is still working hard and moving forward to the next competitions.
“If anyone out there is aspiring to be a swimmer, definitely take up the sport. It will give you an opportunity to make a bunch of great friends, and you’ll have a lifelong way to stay active and fit for the rest of your life!” said Haines.