Sophomore Mara Walker has been set for success since her first meet at Augustana. Last season, she won four College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) titles and was even awarded the CCIW Coca-Cola First-Year Swimmer of the Year at conference. She holds a CCIW All-Conference title and has broken four school records. Walker was also awarded Most Valuable Player in 2023.
Since the end of her First-Year season and the start of her sophomore season, she has already had success winning the 200-yard freestyle relay as well as the individual 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:03.13. She even had a top finish in the 500-meter freestyle, all at the Illinois Wesleyan invite on Nov. 9 in Bloomington, Illinois.
Without setting personal goals and having a balance between working hard and taking rest days, Walker believes that she would not have had this much success in her college career so far.
“I show up to practice every day, ready to swim, ready to be there,” Walker said. “Yes, you might have off days, or there might be days that you don’t really do anything, and it’s okay to take it easy some days. But also pushing through that mindset, having your goals in mind, showing up every day– working hard.”
Knowing what worked for her the year prior to what she needs to do now, Walker has the tools she needs to compete at a high caliber at conference for her sophomore season. She knows what techniques to work on and what swim sets to prioritize.
The conference meet is in the back of her mind all season, not just a couple of weeks before the big meet, which also aids success. Walker and the rest of the team keep the goal in mind, with an attainable endgame in sight, even if it seems far away.
“I have to work on this and make sure it becomes a routine or a habit,” Walker said. “That hopefully better prepares me for the conference meet.”
She also radiates confidence with her competitive spirit. Walker’s competitive nature is seen as a positive force, pushing herself and her teammates to excel.
“She’s one of the most competitive people I know, but in a good way,” sophomore Kylee Blaha said. “She always gets up in races, even if she’s tired- but she will get up and race every single day, all three days of conference, prelims, finals. She’s an amazing competitor. And it’s not just at meets. It translates to practice, too.”
With all of her successes, Walker has been a positive addition to the team since the start of her career. How she composes herself and her attitude has not only aided her in her own successes, but her teammates’ as well.
“She’s always super positive, always motivating,” sophomore Kendle Mihm said. “She’s always cheering and always encouraging us to do better.”