OVIEDO, Fla.— The pool is where Micayla Cronk thrives.
“I’ve been told I’m a fish. I just can’t be out of the water for very long,” said Micayla Cronk, a rising senior at Flagler Palm Coast.
So it only makes sense that she’s a competitive swimmer.
“I love the sport, I love the relationships, I love the coaching, I love the water,” said Cronk.
“The more pressure that’s on her and the more stress she’s under, the more excited she gets the more she enjoys the atmosphere and the faster she swims,” said Charlie Rose, Blue Dolfins swim club head coach.
Trust me, she swims pretty fast.
Her dedication to the sport is unmatched.
Throughout the summer the Flagler Palm Coast rising senior travels an hour and a half to practice in Oviedo.
“This morning I got up at 5:30 to sit in an hour and a half long car ride to get here. Tuesday and Thursdays practice starts at 6:00 so we have to be in the water by 5:55 so I have to get up at like 4:00, 4:30 in the morning,” said Cronk.
But with goals bigger than most.
She knows the sacrifice will be worth it in the long run.
“I really like to win. I have an extremely competitive sprit so waking up early in the morning I just have to keep telling myself this is what it takes to win, my ultimate goal is to go to the olympics so if you want to go to the olympics you have to put the effort in,” said Cronk.
That effort was recognized last summer when Cronk made the National Junior Team.
“They take the top couple 18 and under in the nation and in the U.S. she’s top two,” said Coach Rose.
A big honor but she’s not stopping until she reaches the top.
“A lot of hardworking, a lot of dedication, a lot of motivation,” said Cronk.
“All she has to do is stay the course, She’s going to be there, she’s going to be a contender for sure,” said Coach Rose.