April 14, 2009

Garden City, N.Y. - Many college freshmen agonize over the ideas of making new friends, fitting-in, managing our time, or on the difficulty of attending new classes. Yet for Charlotte Davies, the transition was more than welcoming.

A freshman swimmer who already holds records in the 500, 1,000, and 1,650 yard free-style events, Davies believes that it is more than just talent that drives her towards success. It is the support of friends, family, and her will to succeed. Davies, who believes she has not swam well since her freshman year of high school, broke three school records in just her first year of intercollegiate swimming at Adelphi University. "Success puts into perspective the effects of swimming hard," says Davies, who trusts that hard work will always pay off.

The humble freshman likes that she competes to score as a team and that "there is always someone at the end of the wall cheering you on". "My mother was always there when I had a rough meet. She would cheer me on, even when my races didn't go well. Here at Adelphi it isn't any different," says Davies, who greatly appreciates the support of her teammates.

Swimming since the age of five, Davies would sometimes find the pressures of swimming to be too much. "When I was in high school my coach walked off the deck after seeing me swim a very slow mile" recalls Davies. She labeled this as "one of my most unpleasant swimming experiences".

Nevertheless, support from her mother, Sally, her high school swim coach, and her Swim Florida coach, inspired her to do bigger and better things without becoming discouraged. These same efforts are also reflected through her studies as a business management major.

In an effort to leave her hometown of Sanibel Island, Florida and study out-of-state, Davies used her swimming accomplishments to earn a scholarship at Adelphi University. She appreciates Adelphi's small community and is fond of getting from her dorm to her classes in "only two minutes". "Its fun meeting and becoming friends with so many new faces," Davies added.

Davies, who along with the rest of her team, awaits the completion of their new pool, plans on becoming an event planner in the distant future and is focused on staying motivated while continuing to take big strides both in and out of the pool.

Jeffrey Perez is a junior business management major at Adelphi University. He is also a member of the Adelphi Cross-Country/Track & Field teams.