As a young child, junior Amanda Munoz had an affinity for water. Her grandfather would take Munoz to the local pool a lot, and he’d teach her how to swim. She’d watch with complete admiration as the older kids would swim around, eventually she joined in with them.

As Munoz got older, her affinity for water manifested into a passion for swimming. Munoz swims the 200 I.M., and 100 backstroke and breaststroke. Munoz believes she will do well this year. She pushes herself to practice as much as she can. “Practice is the only way to get truly better,” Munoz said. “I know I’m not a pro, so I have to practice as much as I can.”

She is not only driven by her passion for swimming, but also her competitiveness. Before, Munoz was content with getting second or third place, but now she’s only aiming for first. “I have to win,” the junior said. “I crave the win.”