SWIMMING THE DISTANCE WITH SYD LINDBOLM

Seventeen year old Syd Lindblom has found a wonderful home inside the pool at SwimMac.   The daughter of Scott and Cheri Lindbolm is a senior at Providence Day School with a very bright future.  Syd is a dynamic student and she has perfected the skill of time management by recording over a 4.0 grade point average and winning the 500 Free  NCISSA State Championship.  With her high school swim career now in the rear view mirror, Syd will continue to compete for SwimMac before heading off to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio in the fall.

Syd specializes in the longer distance races, competing primarily in the mile, 400IM, 1000 Free and 500 Free.   She says the longer distances chose her more than she chose them.

"They always say that you don't choose swimming, swimming chooses you. And in a way, it is very true, especially when swimmers are trying to discover what their best events are. I began to swim the longer events when I was about 13, and I realized that it was the first time that swimming really felt like it chose me, it felt natural. Now, distance practices have become my favorite because I know that they are the most challenging for me and make me work the hardest."

Syd doesn't hesitate when asked to swim in shorter races.  She uses her practice sessions to stay prepared for both.

"I definitely still have to train the shorter distances; I also swim the 200 IM and the 200 free at meets and those are basically sprints. One of the things that I really enjoy about swimming is that you can specialize in one thing, but you still have to have a broad spectrum of events to be considered an amazing swimmer. That is why Natalie Coughlin is considered one of the best swimmers, she doesn't just have one event, every event is "her" event. Also, practicing shorter distances helps when it comes around to relays, there are not any relays that are longer than a 200 per person."
 
As Syd moved towards the end of her high school career, the time came to choose a college.  She is a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and National Latin Honor Society at Providence Day. With such an outstanding academic record, she was able to choose from many great opportunities.   Kenyon College came out on top in her search.

"I chose Kenyon because it is an amazing school with great academics, and they place a lot of their emphasis on writing, a skill that I value, and they really encourage the students to find out what they love to do and to find a way to do it. Just talking to the kids at Kenyon gave me the feeling that they really love spending their time there. Plus, they have a awesome swim team, so that was obviously a big draw for me."

With that decision behind her, Syd is hoping to now obtain a Junior National cut time before the meet this summer and then go out on top with her best times of the season.

As you can tell Syd is a very driven high school senior.  She credits the encouragement from her parents for helping her to find success.  She is also shares credit with many of her coaches.

"I have had some great swim coaches over the years who push my hardest everyday during practice and never let me underestimate myself. But what encourages me the most is that I set my own goals, making me focus on what I want and how hard I have to work to achieve them. Because my success is determined only by myself, I realize that the only person who I am letting down by not performing to my best abilities is myself."

Powerful words from a powerful young lady. 

The South Charlotte Sports Report salutes Syd Lindbolm for her successful high school career and we wish her the best at Kenyon College!