Senior Ashley Riley first dove into the water her sophomore year because one of her friends told her that it would be fun. Over the years Riley has found this to be true along with other benefits. She enjoys the team bonding, the competition and the exercise.

“My favorite thing about swim team is the team bonding. We are kinda like a family. I also like the competition that it brings and it is good exercise, especially in the winter,” Riley said. Riley also swims during the summer on the Westover Waves Swim Team. She finds the Westover team to be less intense than the HHS team and doesn’t like how they mix up the age groups.

“Westover has middle schoolers and elementary kids mixed with high school students  whereas HHS is just high schoolers. I don’t really like that because the coaches are trying to multitask teaching different levels, so we don’t really have all of their focus. Westover is less intense than what Coach Morrell has us doing,” Riley said. The reasons Riley puts up with the coaches is to stay in shape over the summer, keep her progress growing from the winter season and to see some of her friends.

Besides swimming, Riley also enjoys cross country and doing pilates. Riley first started cross country when she was in eighth grade because most of her friends were doing it. What she loves most about the HHS cross country is bond the team has. Pilates is a recent activity that Riley has started.

“What I like about pilates is that I’m able to channel all of my feelings into the moves,” Riley said. Riley does Cassey Ho’s, part of Livestrong Women, pilates videos on youtube. She really likes how Ho targets every body part in her all of her workouts and keeps a strong positive attitude.

“She also tries to distract her viewers from how much it hurts when holding the exercises which almost makes me laugh sometimes which makes it hurt even more,” Riley said.

In one word Riley would describe the swim team fun because of the bond they have as a team.

“We’re basically a big family and we support each other and joke around a lot,” Riley said.

Q&A

When and why did you first start swimming?

I started swimming sophomore year because my friend Madison told me swim team was fun.

What is your favorite thing about swimming?

My favorite thing about swim team is the team bonding. We are kinda like a family. I also like the competition that it brings and it is good exercise, especially in the winter.

In one word how would you describe swimming and why?

Fun. Because of team bonding. We’re basically a big family and we support each other and joke around a lot.

What other sports do you play? What do you also like about them?

I do cross country and pilates. I like cross country because of the bond we have as a team. What I like about pilates is that I’m able to channel all of my feelings into the moves.

What pilates videos do you do and what do you like about them.

I do Cassey Ho’s videos, she’s part of Livestrong women. I like how she targets everybody part in her workouts. I also like how happy and positive she is. She also tries to distract her viewers from how much it hurts when holding the exercises which almost makes me laugh sometimes which makes it hurt even more.

In what way(s) you say the Westover team is different from the HHS team?

Westover has middle schoolers and elementary kids mixed with high school students  whereas HHS is just high schoolers.  I don’t really like that because the coaches are trying to multitask teaching different levels, so we don’t really have all of their focus. Westover is less intense than what Coach Morrell has us doing. I mainly just do it to stay in shape, keep up my progress from the winter season, and to see all of my friends