NICK MERSCH
SPORTS EDITOR
Maris Bey is a senior social work major from Yadkinville, North Carolina, on the Lady Barons swimming and diving team.
Bey’s favorite events consist of the 50–yard freestyle and the 100–yard butterfly. Her love for the sport has been nurtured since she was nine years old and for good reason.
“I liked the sport because it didn’t require any hand–eye coordination and because I could eat as much food as I wanted!” Bey said.
Her tongue-in-cheek attitude toward her sport extends to her mentality when approaching her events.
“The faster I swim, the faster I’m done!” said Bey.
It may seem a bit unorthodox, but it’s definitely a true statement. It seems to be working so far in her illustrious college swimming career. In fact, she holds the school record for the 50 backstroke (35.47), the 200 freestyle relay (2:07.85) and the 400 freestyle relay (3:55.50).
Looking back, Bey reminisced on a few of her favorite memories, and they all had something in common: They all had to do with supporting her teammates. She loves celebrating when someone sets a personal best.
She said, “Swimming is an individual sport in the sense that everyone has the races they swim, but it is a team sport because we all support and celebrate with each other. When your teammate drops time, everyone celebrates because they know the amount of work that has to go in to going even one second faster.”
Bey’s goals for this year’s team are simple. She wants herself and the rest of the team to continue growing in all areas of life.
“Being on this swim team has taught me how to suffer joyfully and how to live my life as an offering of praise no matter the circumstances. My personal goal for the team this year is for all of us to continue to learn the role of sacrifice in our lives,” said Bey.
As a senior, Bey admitted that she has definitely not gone through this journey alone.
Bey said, “My teammates inspired (me) every day they wake up at 5 (a.m.) and jump in a cold pool. That is not the type of sacrifice we often see in our generation, so their counter cultural dedication to the sport inspires me!”