Athena Elliot competes in the butterfly stroke at a Watauga High School swim meet.
High school students attend school approximately seven hours a day—not including early arrivals and late departures for meetings and clubs—only to continue working on schoolwork for sometimes several hours an evening. Success depends on consistent commitment to school and oneself. Student athletes, however, often spend many hours after school participating in sports practices before they can arrive home to complete homework assignments. Among student athletes, freshman Athena Elliott stands out as a prime example of dedication throughout a busy life.
“Dedication to the sport is what makes you better,” said Elliott, who is involved in both swimming and volleyball. Her days are often full due to practices for at least one sport, in addition to the extra activities she does to further improve her athletic abilities.
“I have practice from 4:00 to 6:00 for the Watauga Swim Team, a club team. That’s Monday through Saturday,” said Elliott. That’s her current schedule, although during the winter, she participates in Watauga High School’s very own swim team with its own rigorous workouts. Despite its time-consuming and sometimes difficult nature, Elliott wants to dedicate herself to swimming, as she knows from experience that hard work pays off.
“I love swimming and whenever I’m racing and going through courses, I can see improvement,” she said. “I love to see my hard work pay off and I love the people I swim with.”
Elliott is also committed to volleyball, and plays for multiple teams. She’s a member of the Watauga High School team during the fall, and was on the JV team during the 2022 season. In the winter and spring, she plays for a club team. Elliott, along with her teammates, are already completing workouts in preparation for next season in the fall, and those workouts will continue into the summer, which she will balance with her swimming practices.
Elliott doesn’t simply take a break when she isn’t at practice, however. She challenges herself by lifting weights on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, essentially with the Watauga football team, as they lift at the same time. On the weekends, she likes to go to the Watauga County “Rec Center” to swim or lift.
Elliott remains motivated to give constant effort by remembering what her effort has secured her in the past: success.
“I’ve been playing [volleyball] for 6 years and swimming for 5 years, so I’ve grown a lot in the sports,” she said. Her growth comes from more than years of experience, though. It comes from the extra time and energy she puts toward self-improvement.
“Being consistent is what helps you improve,” Elliott advised. Her consistent drive to work until she is satisfied with the results exemplifies motivation and ambition.
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