Team: a word describing a group of people working together toward a common goal.

To the Lewiston High School swim team, it means so much more than that. We are like a family. Our team creates an environment where we are comfortable, safe, and where grade levels don’t matter; everyone is equal. It’s simple.

Former Olympic swimming medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar was quoted in a recent article in The Boston Globe saying, “There are skills learned in sports that are not — and cannot be — learned in other places: team, winning and losing, learning how to put off short-term gratification for long-term rewards.”

Also noted in that article was that, “Playing sports leads to greater educational and employment opportunities.” The LHS swim team is a no-cut sport, as long as one is willing to make a commitment.

On average, 45 students join each year. We wouldn’t want students to miss out on a chance to discover a passion that we have enjoyed our entire high school career. This passion has not only helped us in the pool, but in the classroom as well. Being on the swim team has allowed us to achieve our goals academically and for the future.

We thank the Gendron family for their generosity. We encourage the community to meet the Gendrons’ challenge and contribute to the YWCA so this opportunity is available to future generations. With d3 (desire, determination, drive — our swim team motto), so much is possible.

Abby Blaisdell, Lewiston

Katie Tirabassi, Lewiston

Camille Dionne, Lewiston

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