Jake Petrini is a sophomore at Windham High School and an excellent swimmer. Jake has been swimming since fourth grade and has loved it ever since. At the beginning of his journey, Jake joined the Rays, a swimming club based in New Hampshire, because of his parents. However, it quickly evolved into something he now enjoys.

After a couple of years with the Rays, Jake made it to Windham High School, where he would continue the sport by joining the swim team. Once he joined, he realized that being a part of the high school team was far from easy. From 2-hour practices and dry-land training to swim meets that spanned multiple hours, managing classwork became a struggle. Even with these hardships, he persevered with classwork despite being exhausted from practice, helping him understand the importance of time management and discipline. This was a huge learning experience for Jake, as it allowed him to develop his mindset and swimming abilities to make states.

Every year, all New Hampshire high school swim teams attempt to make it to the state competition, and this was no different for Jake. Coming into his sophomore year, Jake knew he had to be prepared, and that preparation was evident during the summer. Every morning at 9 a.m., he got dressed and swam for over two hours, practicing all types of strokes to be the best. After his first practice, he would stretch and recover, returning to the pool for a 6-8 p.m. practice, exhausted but determined. Even though it was difficult and tiring, he knew that this was the only way to come out on top. With the summer nearing its end, Jake felt more confident than ever.

Sophomore year came with even more challenges for Jake. From AP classes, Rays, and clubs, Jake was always busy. Through the lessons he learned from swimming, he was able to juggle everything at once, showing how a sport can really affect all aspects of your life. All of Jake’s summer effort was evident in his performance going into the state competition, as he managed to make it into four races, two of them individual.

Heading into the state competition was a whole different game. With competitors being much better than at normal meets, Jake knew this was no simple task, but he was ready. Hours and hours of practice during the summer prepared him for this competition. Once he arrived at the meet, he felt a little nervous, but he had a good mindset. As he said, “I know this meet won’t be easy; nonetheless, no matter how good or bad I do, I know I’ll have tried.” Once he finished his races and the ranks were released, Jake felt a rush of emotions. He ended up with less-than-great times than he expected. Even though he did not get the “best” time, he got his best time.

Jake shows us that even if you do not get first, as long as you try hard and keep pushing through hard times, you win.