Being on a swim team and working in the medical field are both things that can require time and commitment but other than that have little correlation for most people. But for Bella Tufts (12) the two go hand in hand as she plans to pursue a medical career while being a student athlete.
Tufts has been on the high school team for all four years and has been doing club swim since she was six years old.
“I started at the Y when I was three, and I did some lessons there,” Tufts said. “Being able to see my friends every day is why I am still doing it.”
In her time on the highschool team, Tufts has been the team captain for the past two years and also has made it to state for the past three years, hoping to make it her senior year as well. Last year, Tufts finaled in her individual and got eighth in a relay with her team.
“I had to show up every day and work hard at practice even though they start at 5 AM,” Tufts said. “I was just proud of me and the other three girls that we were able to make Crown Point proud.”
In addition to the time commitment the swim team requires, Tufts is also an active member of the school as she is a NHS director and a member of the athletic council.
“I’m definitely involved in clubs around Crown Point,” Tufts said. “Swimming has definitely taught me time management skills, so it’s really getting all my stuff done at school, so outside of school hours, I can be part of NHS and swim.”
Balancing both athletics and academics is a skill that Tufts will need with her in college as she plans to attend IU Indy for both swim and a medical degree. Tufts wants to specialize in medical imaging which is a career she has seen in action due to her swim related injuries.
“I also chose IU Indy because I want to go into the medical field and they are really good with balancing athletics and medical,” Tufts said. “I always wanted to work with hospitals and people, but I chose medical imaging because I’ve had images done for past injuries through this sport so I wanna give back to that.”
Tufts experiences with swim have helped her discover her future career and helped prepare her for it as it has taught her how to manage time and work hard to reach her goals.
