Co-Captain David Porto ’26 guides his team with a determined growth mindset and an encouraging word. Swimming was never a competitive sport for Porto until he got to Andover, but since arriving, he has not been able to stay away from the pool.
Porto started swimming mainly to improve his fitness. Yet, when he found a community of swimmers playing water polo, he quickly became a part of the swimming community.
“Before Andover, I mostly [swam] for my health. And then when I came to Andover, I did water polo for a full term to be closer to the swimming community and then swim in the winter, following what I was doing beforehand,” said Porto.
With Andover’s strong swimming environment, Porto found himself coming back to the sport. Competing in most of the team’s Wednesday meets, he was very excited to meet many new athletes who were beginning their competitive swim careers.
“[Swimming is] interesting because you get to see all these people in an environment, whether that be like in a meet or in the pool, and because of that environment, that’s how me and a lot of other people in swim, have developed leadership. [When] you see people who need some help with something or don’t understand something about competitive swimming because they’ve never done it before, you get to be there for them and try to help them out,” said Porto.
Teammate Cale Barker ’28 highlighted Porto’s amicable personality, something that helps him lead the team. He emphasized how Porto sets a good example both in and out of the pool.
“Out of sports, you can tell he’s very focused and very driven in his academics. He is just a good guy to be around. A lot of people like to be around him because he’s funny and talkative,” said Barker.
According to William Sueling ’26, Porto serves as a crucial connector for communication between team members and coaches. He has a positive influence on the team in any circumstance.
“He’s really prepared. I notice he answers a lot of the coach’s questions really well. He knows where to get water bottles, suits, caps, and helps a lot of the newer guys on the team out,” said Sueling.
Being a leader means balancing one’s own performance with that of one’s teammates, and Porto has mastered that skill. By organizing his time wisely, he’s able to motivate his teammates while preparing for a high-quality performance.
“I want to get ready, get in the mindset, and have myself figured out before [meets]. I want to let other people be able to take that charge, so that when they need to prepare for their events… I can also step in and help out,” said Porto.
As a leader, Porto has inspired many of his teammates with his words of wisdom. Barker spoke to one of the most significant points that Porto left the team with.
“[Porto has taught us to] always try our hardest and give it our all in your races and in practice… just leaving it all out in the pool, emptying the tank, giving 100 percent effort, no matter if we feel tired or sore,” said Barker.
Porto hopes to continue swimming in college on a club team.
