Junior and exchange student Symbat Slambayeva came to CMR diving into the deep end.

“I’ve always loved to swim, I just love water,” Slambayeva said.

She joined the CMR JV swim team this year and she loves it. She said she is amazed about the spirit, which is her favorite thing about the team. She describes the whole team as a family.

“I didn’t have the chance to join a swim team in my country because our country is not into sports as America,” Slambayeva said. This is her first time playing a sport and being part of a team. This is also her first time competing in general, which she thinks is really exciting.

“In the beginning I was about to quit the team,” she said. She thought the beginning was the hardest part, catching up with practises and comparing herself to swimmers who have been in the water for years. But she said her mom told her to stay since she already started and she’s really happy about her mom’s words because she loves it today and is so happy that she’s still on the team.