Abigail Sterneman, Urbana High School

Background�when did you start swimming? How did you get started swimming? What teams have you swum with?

When I was a small kid, my mother put me into swimming lessons because I couldn�t stay out of my Grandparents� lake. I took lessons when I was 4 and 5 and began competing with the Bloomsburg Area YMCA (BAY) by 5. I have swum with BAY , Bloomsburg Area High School, Urbana High School and CCMY.

Are you excited about your final year of swimming in high school (Urbana HS) and the Aquachiefs? What are your swimming goals for the year?

I am excited to be in my last year of swimming with the YMCA, but am also sad. Y swimming has been my passion. My goals for this year are to make my Y-National cuts and be a member of the National Medley Relay.

What are your plans for college? Will you swim? What do you plan to major in?

My plans for college are almost finalized. Next Fall, I will be attending Asbury College in Wilmore, KY to study English. I intend to swim for Asbury, and hope to do well under Coach Gary Kempf. It is exciting for me to attend Asbury, as it is the ideal college for me� a small Christian school where I can swim and be a member of the team that is fun and growing.

What have you learned from swimming, besides how to move through the water like a dolphin?

Some things that I have learned from swimming have been useful while others have not. No, I won�t be expecting to use my knowledge of the Art of Squirting Water with my hands later in life, but the lessons in nutrition, self discipline, respect, and friendship I will always use and remember. Swimming has helped shape me physically, emotionally, and mentally and though at times I don�t like it, this sport has had a great influence upon my life.

What�s your favorite movie? Favorite food? Favorite place?

My favorite movies are the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I fell in love with Tolkien�s books as akid and the movies are AMAZING! My favorite food is probably pizza (like any other normal teenager) and my favorite place is the Big Sandy Camp waterfront in McGregor, MN.

What 3 people would you invite to dinner?

If I could invite 3 people to dinner, they would be C.S. Lewis, Jesus, and Kermit the Frog.

What is something about yourself that people might find surprising or interesting?

Most people would find it interesting that instead of training for the Fall season all summer, I spend 11 weeks in northern Minnesota lifeguarding at a Christian camp. YAY Big Sandy!