Meghan Weiss’s perfume of choice is chlorine. This year, the St. Paul native has been making waves as a stand-out swimmer on the St. Olaf swim team.
But for Meghan ’13, swimming is more than an extra curricular. It is a passion that she pursues with drive, focus and attention. She began swimming at age six and now swims year round (though she has, in the past competitively competed in volleyball, basketball, and dance). “I love being a part of a team, and I love the competition,” Meghan says. “Swimming provides both a mental and physical challenge.”
The most exciting part, however, is that Meghan’s passion has paid off. She currently holds the school records in the 500 freestyle and the 200 freestyle. “It is such an honor,” she said. “I train with wonderful people who push me everyday in practice. It is solely because of their help, and my coaches’ help, that I am at this level at all.”
Another reason Meghan loves swimming so much these days is because of where she is doing it. She transferred to St. Olaf from the University of MN swim team after her freshman year in order to get a more all-around academic experience. “I decided after my first year that the school was way too big for me,” Meghan said. “I decided to come to Olaf because of the academic program, plus I felt at home with the swim team.”
This balance has allowed Meghan to pursue her other loves, psychology and exercise science. “They’re a perfect fit considering I’ve been involved with sports all my life,” she adds. The end goal is studying in a graduate program and becoming a clinical psychologist that specializes in eating disorders, Meghan says, which she is actively pursuing this summer as an intern at the University of MN Medical Center in their Behavioral Department.
In the meantime, however, Meghan keeps busy volunteering as a grief counselor at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, leading weekly sessions for groups of kids who have lost a parent or sibling. She’s also swimming, almost every day. “We have nationals coming up, so I am preparing for that,” she says. “I can’t wait to compete again, and hope to just continue to improve on my times from this year.”
Her biggest advice for Oles wishing to juggle heavy academics with a successful extracurricular schedule? “You can make it happen! Just stay on top of everything and manage your time well. Get involved. It’s so much more rewarding.”