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10/25/2017 12:00 AMDaniela Bedoya is a sophomore who attends the Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School in New Haven. When Daniela joined the East Haven-Wilbur Cross co-op girls’ swim squad this fall, she was welcomed with open arms by her fellow members of the Yellowjackets.
“I really like it. It’s a different experience swimming with the high school. It’s very different from club swimming,” Daniela says. “I like it so far. I felt really welcomed by the girls.”
Daniela comes from a swimming background as her father got her started in the sport. Daniela’s dad runs lessons at the East Haven Rec Pool, and so she’s been involved with swimming in some capacity throughout her entire life.
“He does swim lessons there, and he has a new program there,” says Daniela of her father. “When I was younger, he was the one to coach me. He prepared me to do competitive swimming.”
Daniela hones her swimming skills by competing on a year-round basis. She participates in club swimming with the Hopkins Mariners based out of New Haven.
“I started swimming competitively when I was about seven,” Daniela says. “It doesn’t let me lose my shape when I swim consistently. It makes me a stronger swimmer and a better swimmer. It also helps with my technique.”
Daniela was anxious to join the East Haven-Wilbur Cross team when the two schools formed their partnership. Although she could have signed up last season, Daniela opted to use her freshman year to adjust to life in high school.
“There wasn’t enough time for me to join my first year of high school,” she says. “I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correctly in high school and that swimming wouldn’t get in the way for me.”
Head Coach Dave Oshana is impressed with what Daniela has brought to the table during her debut campaign. Oshana says that Daniela is a talented swimmer who has the right attitude in the pool.
“Daniela joined the team this season as a sophomore and was really fast right from the start. She has many years of experience as a swimmer, which has helped her win many individual events for the team. She is a hard-working young lady with a positive attitude,” says Oshana. “Daniela’s experience makes her versatile as a swimmer. She is one of the key factors in our team’s success this season. Her strengths are in the butterfly and shorter distance freestyle events.”
Daniela can swim every event, but does her best work in the shorter ones. The 100 butterfly is Daniela’s bread and butter.
“I’m a sprinter, so whenever I stand behind the blocks, it’s only four laps. I think to myself, ‘I’m just going to go out there and do it.’” Daniela says. “I’m a butterflier, so the 100 fly is my favorite. My dad taught me pretty good technique for the fly, and it’s one of the first strokes I learned.”
Daniela is a goal-oriented athlete on both on the team and individual levels. In her first year with the Easties, Daniela accomplished one of the biggest goals that she established at the start of the season.
“I’m really happy I got to experience three wins this year with girls that have been motivating me in swimming and have been kind in general,” says Daniela on the team. “When I first started this season, my goal as to get to states, and I’ve already done that in three events. I’m hoping to get better, improve my skills, and technique, because I’d love to make it to the Olympics some day.”