Isabella Ramirez, a freshman on the PVHS swim team, is the athlete of the week. She has been swimming since she was four and has always had a passion for the sport. Ramirez joined the Forest Park team in elementary school and has been swimming competitively with them since then. Isabella’s main event is the 100-meter backstroke, but she also does the 200 I.M. and the 200-medley relay.  

She had her breakthrough meet recently, where she was able to win first in the 100-meter backstroke. She said about this meet, “I was really shocked, because I always come in second or third, so this was a big moment for me.” At this meet, Isabella was able to break her average time, which was normally between a 1:14 and 1:13, and achieve a 1:11.56.

Swimming on the PV swim team is no joke. Every week, Monday through Friday, they practice from 4 to 6 pm.  Attending these practices are quite a commitment, as they are held all the way at the CCC pool. Ramirez believes that these difficult practices are one of the keys to her success, though. She said, “They helped me control my body and know what limits I can push myself to.”

All her hard work has paid off tremendously over this season on the swim team. Still, she was surprised when she heard she was the athlete of the week. Isabella said, “I was in 1st period when the morning announcements came on, and they announced my name to my complete surprise. I was ecstatic when I saw my name on the billboard outside school!”

Isabella draws her inspirations from Natalie Coughlin and Missy Franklin, to name a few. She said, “They all hold something close to me, and while swimming I try and take a piece of them with me.”