Kennzie Hartmann '18 Recruiting Profile

I am a hard working person in general. In order for me to compete well, I have to train hard. I love the feeling of accomplishing a difficult set in practice. I think of myself as a leader to younger swimmers and my fellow teammates. I love to get them excited about meets, and I love to help push them to be the best they can be. I am also a very determined person. I love pushing myself to reach a certain goal or time.

In academics, I love challenging myself, as well as learning new things. I pick classes that both interest me and challenge me. Math and science are two of my best/favorite subjects, and I hope to go into the medical field. I am particularly interested in medicine because when I was 8 years old, I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease. Grave's Disease is an immune system disorder of the thyroid, which has affected me ever since. I think it's just amazing how complex the body's systems are and how they work, and I want to contribute knowledge to the field of medicine in the future. 

One thing that sets me apart from other swimmers is that two years ago, I had to have surgery to fix a torn labrum in my left shoulder. It took me a little while to get back to where I used to be, but it is great to be back to training hard. It is both mentally and physically challenging to come back from a surgery, especially on your shoulder. Since then, I have had a couple setbacks with shoulder pain, but every time I have overcame it. For that, I am really proud of myself.