My name is Madelyn Weber and I am a junior at IU Indianapolis. I am pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Youth Physical Wellness Programming. I came to Indianapolis to swim on the women’s Swim and Dive team as well as continue my education through the school of Health and Human Science’s. Being in a big city is definitely an adjustment but it also offers so many opportunities that smaller campus’s don’t(including the 21 active hospitals just in Indy)!
SWIMMING, it has been a huge and extremely influential part of my life. I have been competitively swimming for a little over 10 years, with me finishing out my final 2 years collegiately. In short- my experiences on my swim teams(whether that be at practice, meets, in the weight room, hanging out with friends on my team, etc) have shaped me to be who I am. I have had 3 coaches over my swimming career, one of them being my father who is one of my biggest roll models. My dad is my best friend; he coached me, tutored me in math, is a wonderful father. 90% of our conversations are somehow swimming related, we are either talking about what I can do outside of the pool to get better, or what can be done at practice to improve. Swimming has taught me everything about pride, passion, hard-work, and perseverance. Waking up at 5am for the past 10 years doesn’t come without bumps in the road, it takes an extreme amount of love, and passion, to continue the constant battle every morning.
THE SJ5K is a student run(high school) charity organization. They help raise money for families in need in the Plymouth Canton community; over the past decade they’ve raised over half a million dollars. I had the opportunity to lead all five middle schools in our district to help make a change. I learned patience when communicating with parents, teachers, and students. Not everything will go exactly according to plan, and thats alright; you have to be able to make the necessary adjustments and move on. I also learned the importance, and power of trusting and believing in those around you. Seeing the entire community coming together to help 4-6 families a year is truly inspiring. Battles cannot always be fought alone, it is overwhelming to see the everyone come together.
Teaching swim lessons and lifeguarding has taught huge lessons both educationally and personally. Being a part of a mini team who got to watch over people, and on occasion help people, was extremely thrilling. Unfortunately it’s not always “fun”, it’s very daunting to be in charge of someone’s live while they are in the water. Swim lessons wasn’t the first time I realized I love working with kids and watching them improve, I have always been loved being around their young energy and high spirits. I was a lifeguard for 4 years, and just learning the skills was enjoyable to me. Enjoying the learning process is just as important as doing the job.
RESUME
