AOTW: Veronika Kisova ’23 Brings a Motivational Spirit to the Girls Swim Team

Veronika Kisova ’23, a new member of Andover Girls Swimming & Diving, started swimming competitively at the age of 6. Kisova mainly swims in distance events, in particular the 500-Yard Freestyle, 200-Yard Freestyle, 200-Yard Relay, and 400-Yard Freestyle Relay. According to teammate Katie Swan ’23, Kisova is a motivated swimmer who always pushes herself and her teammates to do their best.

“She is a really great friend, I love her so much. She is also super hardworking, so she always pushes other people to work harder also,” said Swan.

Kisova’s athleticism and support towards her team has earned her the title of The Phillipian’s Athlete of the Week.

When did you start swimming?

I’ve been swimming competitively since I was 6 years old, but before that I honestly started when I was 6 months old, but that was just for fun.

How would you describe the team at Andover?

At Andover, our team is just so much fun. We all get along so well, and practices are so much fun, because we are all just having fun and working hard together for the same goal.

What do you like most about your events?

I am a distance swimmer, and that’s what I swim [in club swimming] and at Andover. Distance is not everyone’s favorite—usually people kind of hate it, and I hated it at first. I like that you can pace yourself, and it’s not just a sprint, because in a sprint, if one thing goes wrong and you have a slow start, then everything is over, and you aren’t going to have a good swim. But in distance, you always have time to build on what you are trying to accomplish.

What goals did you accomplish so far this season?

I was really looking forward to the team aspect of swimming at Andover, because on club swimming, it is a very different dynamic, where you are swimming for only yourself. But here it is different; you are more swimming for the team than for just yourself.

What has been your favorite memory of the season so far?

Honestly, Eastern’s. I feel like [the team] got to know one another so well because we were together for four days straight, and our relationship got so much better.

What are you looking forward to next season?

For next season, just again strengthening our team connection. Our season isn’t over yet; we still have New Englands coming up, which is our main meet. Eastern’s is a big meet that we focus on, but New Englands is [more important]. New Englands is a league meet against all of the schools we compete with… I am looking forward to that.

What is your favorite building on campus?

I like [Paresky Commons] because it has food, but I also like [Borden Memorial Gym] and the pool.