GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) - When Gabriella Lacey first got to know Cora Sawyer through swimming, she saw more than a teammate. She saw someone who represented the kind of experience she wanted for herself.
Lacey, a new ninth grader at Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy, chose to pursue GRPS because of its academic and athletic opportunities. Her path to Ottawa Hills began through Grand Rapids Aquatics, the youth swim program housed at Ottawa Hills, where she got to know many of the girls who are now Bengals swimmers. As those youth swimmers grew into high school teammates, Lacey wanted to be part of it, too. She quickly connected with the team’s culture and the supportive family surrounding the Bengals program. Sawyer, in particular, has been a major part of that.
“Cora has been a huge influence and supporter,” Lacey’s mom said.
That support has helped make Lacey’s transition to high school — and to a new team — feel like a natural next step. For Sawyer, meanwhile, creating that kind of connection is something she has experienced while building a life around swimming. A sophomore at City High Middle School, Sawyer has been swimming since she was ten and competes in the 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly. Her days are built around the demands of being a student-athlete, beginning with morning practice before heading to breakfast with her teammates, then school.
Once classes end, there is little time to slow down. Sawyer heads back to the pool for afternoon practice, with homework squeezed into the school day or completed at home afterward. On Tuesdays, her schedule expands beyond swimming through her work with the Youth Grant Committee of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
The committee brings together high school students from across the city to decide where foundation funding should go based on community needs. Sawyer's connection to the program is personal: her mom's organization, Compressive Therapy Center, received a grant from the committee. After learning about the opportunity, Sawyer interviewed and earned a spot herself.
Swimming continues year-round for Sawyer through club competition, so downtime is limited. When she does have an open weekend, she makes time for family, including Saturday dinners and Sunday football.
Balancing everything isn't always easy. Sawyer said deciding what to prioritize can be the most challenging part, but she has learned to use every available moment and protect her sleep before another day of practice.
Now, Lacey is preparing to learn that same rhythm for herself, and Sawyer is ready to help lead the way. As a new school year begins, both girls are eager for what comes next—in the classroom, in the pool, and as members of a Bengals team they are proud to call their own.
