Sophomore Elise Nguyen has always had a personal cheerleader. Whether at swim meets or just at practice, her sister, junior Emily Nguyen, has always been there to motivate her.
Emily, who also has a fan in her sister, explained that she and Elise are able to bond over swimming.

Both sisters swim competitively and have been cheering and inspiring each other for the past seven years.

Although they are at a similar level, both swimming on JV last year, the sisters enjoy swimming in different races. Elise prefers the 200 IM, an event that features the four main strokes, while Emily enjoys swimming backstroke.

This season, both sisters will be swimming on varsity with the first meet against Palo Alto on March 15.

Having swum at Santa Clara Swim Club for several years, the sisters are no strangers to the competitiveness of the sport. However, both agree that they do not feel competition between themselves.

“Competing against each other isn’t something we like to do,” Elise explained.

Emily added that competing with Elise would give her a lot of unnecessary stress. Instead of competing, the sisters take it upon themselves to cheer each other on and support one another.

“Being on the same team is fun, because there will always be somebody to support you no matter how badly you are doing,” Elise said.

Emily said that Elise has always been there to watch her races and help her do her best.

Though swimming is an individual sport, the sisters agree that their teammates are an important part of their success.

“Emily [is a good teammate because] she always motivates me to try hard even when I don’t want to,” said Elise. “We are both really supportive of each other.”

After years of supporting each other, one fact remains:  swimming will always be a shared passion.

“I love swimming because it's a sport that I've always enjoyed,” Emily said. “I've tried out many different sports on land, but it seems as though water is my true element.”