Get to know Ponte Vedra swimmer Penelope Zarczynski
PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — Olympic gold medalists, Super Bowl champions, Hall of Fame inductees, and serious athletes across the globe all have one thing in common: they love their sport. Penelope Zarczynski, a student-athlete at Ponte Vedra High School, is no exception. Penny, who started swimming at age nine, thrives on the physical challenge and mental fulfillment that results from swimming competitively.
鈥淪wimming is special to me because of all the people I鈥檝e met and gotten close to,鈥� explained Penny. 鈥淭hroughout the years, I鈥檝e bonded with many swimmers from both my team and other teams鈥� just through the sheer amount of time we spend together at both practices and meets.鈥�
This past year, Penny attended the state meet with her team, Ponte Vedra High School, as only a freshman. Ponte Vedra won the FHSAA girls team swimming championship, taking first place in the Class 3A rankings. Penny placed first in the 200-yard IM relay alongside teammates Ann Wohlgemuth, Annabelle MacAdams, and Mary Agnes Smith. She also placed sixth in the 50- yard freestyle, helping the team immensely.
鈥淢y most fun competition has probably been States,鈥� stated Penny, 鈥測ou travel up with the team, you stay with a roommate from the team, and you just get to be with the team the entire time鈥� the energy there is so incredible, there鈥檚 nothing like it.鈥� Ponte Vedra High School won the state title with a score of 245 points, which was 42 points ahead of the second-place team. Their hard work truly paid off, and the team hopes to win back-to-back titles this coming season.
Additional highlights in Penny鈥檚 swimming career include having a Junior Nationals cut in the 100 fly and a Futures cut in the 50 free. Penny鈥檚 results show promise for a long and successful swimming career. She hopes to continue to swim and get to the college level. Being a member of a collegiate team and having the opportunity to swim at an elite level is a dream of hers.
鈥淚f somebody were just starting out in swimming, I would tell them to stick with it because the practices are hard, it鈥檚 long hours, it鈥檚 a lot of training, but honestly, the people that you meet along the way are just so amazing,鈥� described Penny. 鈥淓veryone you get to know in the swim community and being a part of something is completely worth it in the end. It makes all the hard practices worth it.鈥�
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.