Girls Swimming and Diving Co-Captain Willow Wright ’26 brings an infectious enthusiasm to the pool deck. Wright leads with positivity, inclusion, and care, striving to ensure every teammate feels supported, whether during practices or meets.
Wright acknowledged that swimmers arrive at the team with different backgrounds and motivations. She articulated her appreciation for the team’s commitment and effort, regardless of experience level.
“I try to be a really inclusive and enthusiastic leader. I know that, especially for people on the JV team who haven’t necessarily been swimming since they were five years old and just needed a winter sport, swimming might not be their main passion. I recognize that everyone is coming from a different starting place, and that’s awesome. It takes a lot to show up every single day and give what you can. Celebrating and acknowledging everyone’s growth and strengths is a really important part of my leadership and how I see the team in general,” said Wright.
Previously, swimming felt like a transitional part of her athletic year rather than a central focus. Wright reflected on how, over her time on the team, her relationship with swimming has evolved.
“When it comes to swimming, it hasn’t always been my main passion. I look forward to the Crew season [in Spring Term], and while I love the people and the athletic side of swimming, I sometimes see it more as a step in my athletic journey rather than something I’m fully invested in. This season has helped me shift that mindset, especially knowing it’s my last season with the team,” said Wright.
Teammates consistently described Wright as a steady and uplifting presence on the team. Kelley MacKinnon ’27 pointed to Wright’s energy and optimism as qualities that set the tone during practices.
“Willow is a very bubbly person. She’s always enthusiastic and looks at the brighter side of things, especially during practice. She’s always ready to get in the water,” said MacKinnon.
Nishi Amin ’28 echoed this sentiment and further highlighted Wright’s attentiveness to teammates’ needs during both practices and competitions.
“During practices, she always reads the set out loud, and if anyone asks about intervals or timing, she’s the first one to answer. During meets, she has the warm-up memorized and knows exactly what we’re doing and when. She’s also always high-fiving people and congratulating them after their swims…whenever someone on the team feels stressed or nervous before a meet or a tough practice, Willow always gives good advice and hypes everyone up. It feels really reassuring to have someone you can talk to when you’re nervous,” said Amin.
For Wright, the sense of community in the Pan Athletic Center is what ultimately makes the cold winter practices worthwhile.
“It’s very difficult to get out of a freezing-cold pool and go into the even colder New England winter weather outside. It’s truly the people. It’s just so much fun laughing and goofing around with them between our events and during practice, between sets. We make conversation and talk about each other’s days. I feel really lucky that I’ve gotten to know these people, because I don’t know if we would have met otherwise, if we hadn’t been doing the same sport and bonding over it. Just being part of a sport and knowing we have people who are all doing the same thing together makes it really special,” said Wright.
Although Wright does not plan to swim competitively in college, she hopes to continue swimming recreationally, both as a form of exercise and personal enjoyment. As she closes her final season with the team, she reflected on the environment she hopes to leave behind.
“I really strive to create a culture of belonging where people feel happy to be part of the team and motivated to come to practice every day, even when jumping into the pool is hard after a long day. Knowing you have people you can talk to and rely on makes a big difference,” said Wright.
