Student athletes at Mount Pleasant High School have a reputation not only for their talent, but also for their incredible commitment and enthusiasm. Their abilities and hard work may be awarded through trophies and medals, and in the case of Isabelle Salvatore, can result in state-wide recognition. Isabelle, a junior at Mount and member of the girls’ swim team, was recently named Athlete of the Week for Winter Week 6 by Delaware Online.

Throughout the winter season, Isabelle has shown remarkable talent and dedication for the sport by dominating the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke events, which won her victories against Newark and A.I du Pont. In an interview conducted with the Knightly News, Isabelle revealed that her interest in the sport began after taking lessons at a young age, and ever since her love for the sport has grown. Her devotion to the sport has been inspired by 23-time gold medalist in competitive swimming, Michael Phelps. Isabelle went on to say that Phelps’ incredible drive and admirable quality of pushing himself past his comfort zone has inspired her to be a better swimmer. The Mount Pleasant girls’ swim team has created an environment to make this happen by pushing her to do the best she possibly can.

When asked what skills she would like to improve on throughout the season, Isabelle added that she would like to improve her mechanics and build on her endurance so that she can hold out in a race longer and not get as tired as easily.

It is common knowledge that the life of a student athlete can be plagued by the stress of finding a balance between academics and sports. Isabelle has found her own balance between her sports, IB math, nursing course and numerous IB classes by visiting her study spot, Barnes and Noble, quite frequently. In addition to this, she occasionally stays after school to catch up on her assignments and asks friends to assist her in any classes that she may need help with. Although Isabelle has not made plans to pursue a professional career in competitive swimming, her involvement with the swim team here at Mount will have a lasting effect on her high school experience and future in college-level competitive swimming.