Minnetonka High School ’22
University of Chicago ’26
MSV caught up with Addie Diaz at the University of Chicago to check in on her first year of college swimming and it sounds like it was amazing! Taking a step back, Addie chose to swim in college like so many other athletes. She’s been doing it most of her life and it’s become part of her lifestyle rather than just a sport, she loves the social aspect of swimming and being part of a team and couldn’t imagine not having that as part of her college experience.
Addie has found the workouts and training aren’t too different from high school. The primary difference is the workouts are more specialized to the swimmer’s events; in high school, there was more sprint focused training. One thing that continues to be special is the bond between her teammates, both on the women’s and men’s team. It sounds like they are one big family.!
The University of Chicago has a very demanding and rigorous academic curriculum, but Addie says that managing a balance between swimming and school hasn’t been challenging. You get into a routine and make it work. Swimming has also taught her excellent time management skills over the years, which have come in handy as well.
Her favorite memory of the year has been the team’s training trip to Puerto Rico. Two tough practices a day, but the rest of the time was spent eating good food, laying on the beach and hanging out with her swim family.
Congratulations to Addie on a successful first year in school, in the pool, and with friends!
Advice for athletes thinking of swimming in college: Think about what you really want from your college experience. Depending on what that is, there’s a college that’s the right fit.
Advice for soon-to-be Freshman swimming in college: Go out of your comfort zone, talk to people, and get to know people. You’ll be amazed at what you learn.