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Sunday, 11 February 2018 23:10

From Securian.com

As a college sophomore, Heather Lendway pondered whether to stick with the swim team for a second year. She had no idea of how greatly the decision would impact her life. 

Heather had been swimming almost her entire life – she was three years old when she first entered the pool and began competing at age eight. Propelled by the excitement of consistent victory and her naturally competitive spirit, she continued on through high school and her first year in college. ...

But Heather’s life was becoming more complicated. She was an adult now – there were other priorities vying for her attention. She thought it might finally be time to give up the pool and focus on other things, like preparing for a career in math and computer science. 

Had Heather decided to quit the swim team that fall, her college and career accomplishments might have been quite different. But she didn’t quit – on the contrary, she went all in. 

“It suddenly hit me how important being part of the swim team was to me – they were my family,” said Heather. “It made me want to dedicate myself more than ever. I began training on my own, outside of practice. I learned what it meant to work hard – to push my boundaries and really dig deep. That’s when I caught a glimpse of my real potential.” 

Now everyone can glimpse Heather’s realized potential on the record board at her alma mater, Macalester College. Over a decade later, the All-Conference, All-American swimmer still holds the record in the 500-yard freestyle, 1,000-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle, 400-meter individual medley and 800-meter freestyle relay events. READ MORE