By ALEX HORTON
Contributing Writer
Swimming since she was 10 years old and attending lessons since she can remember, Becky Wisniewski’s first swim team was with the Boys and Girls Club and less than a year later she joined the Union Aquatic Club, which was her first competitive swim team. She is now a junior education major with a minor in journalism on The College of Saint Rose swim team. Wisniewski was born on Feb. 27, 1993 to Richard and Charisse Wisniewski in Utica. Wisniewski swam varsity from the 8th grade until she was a senior for Maine-Endwell Senior High School, but she said that she fell in love with swimming when she was twelve.
“It was honestly because of the people involved in it, we had so much fun together,” Wisniewski said. Wisniewski had a group of core friends and a coach that really helped her fall in love with the sport.
Wisniewski’s first choice was not Saint Rose. She originally was committed to Hartwick but when Keith Murray, the swim coach for Saint Rose offered her a scholarship a few weeks prior to the college deposit deadline, Wisniewski thought twice about Hartwick and chose to go to be a Golden Knight instead. Wisniewski had wanted to go to a small school that was also well known for its education program. Wisniewski enjoys Saint Rose and all the friends she has made at school.
“I really like the swim team, I don’t know how I would have gotten through school without them,” Wisniewski said.
Wisniewski’s friends and teammates play an obvious role in who she is, and they only have good things to say about her.
The swim team is in the pool by 5:45 a.m. almost every day.
“Becky is a positive, supportive and fun teammate to swim with at 5:45 in the morning,” said Bridgette Moss, her roommate and teammate on the swim team.
Additionally, a sophomore teammate Sam Hall was extremely positive when talking about the junior swimmer.
“Her humor always lightens the mood when the going gets tough,” Hall said. “She is an extremely hard worker at practice which inspires other team members to push themselves in the pool, and is a great supporter and cheerer when teammates are racing.”
Wisniewski specializes in swimming backstroke and occasionally will swim in the Individual Medley, but she said that she will swim whatever the coaches ask or need her to.
After Wisniewski graduates from The College of Saint Rose, she plans on becoming an elementary school teacher, and as she becomes a senior next fall and starts student teaching, she takes just one more step closer to her dream.
