Most people see swimming as a time of relaxation or fun with the family. But Campbell Elliott sees things a little differently. For her, swimming is a sport that she loves and enjoys competing in. 

Elliot is a junior at Stillwater High School and a member of the swim team. She says that in order to be successful, she has put in the work, but there is more that goes with it. 

“My success in swimming has come not just from physical strength, but also from a strong mindset,” she said. “I’ve had to learn not to beat myself up if I lose a race, but instead analyze my weak spots and learn from other swimmers with whom I’ve competed. I keep myself motivated by seeing and feeling improvement in my overall swimming performance. Improvement reminds me of all the hard work I have put into reaching my goals and how many times I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone to get where I am today.” 

Throughout her life, Elliott has had a number of people that have been influential in her life, but she says that two people have made the biggest impact. 

“One of the biggest role models in my life is my mom,” she said. “She has shown me what it means to be an impactful leader but also a strong supporter of others. She has shown me what it means to persevere when life throws unexpected things your way and how to come back stronger. 

“Some other big influencers in my life are my sister and brother. My sister is my best friend and I am beyond thankful for her support. I am also so thankful that I get to share an interest with my younger brother and create great memories of swimming alongside him.” 

While her swimming career has afforded her the opportunity to make some great memories, she has one memory that is her favorite. 

“The highlight moment of my career was winning the 400 freestyle relay with my teammates Gwen, Mazie, and Avery,” Elliott said. “We were super tired from a long meet, but we were able to embrace the burn, swam our fastest and ended up shaving ten seconds off our seed time.”