Writer: Charleen Chen ’17
Staff Writer

Twenty-eight members of the Peddie varsity swim team, along with coaches Greg Wriede ’95, Allison Schaefer and Katherine Nicholson, held their annual training trip in Florida from Dec. 28 to Jan. 4

The athletes took this time to refocus their training and strengthen themselves through vigorous exercise.

“After some great performances in December, the team needed a chance to get back in some intense training sessions that had a specific focus on building a tough team mentality for our dual meet season,” Wriede said.

The team trained in the pool twice a day for two hours at a time. Out of the water, the team did dryland training by the beach and on the pool deck. Additionally, there was an optional ocean swim.

The demanding schedule was designed to both physically and emotionally test the team, Wriede said.

“The swimmers did multiple sessions through the course of the week that tested their limits in many different ways. Training camps are designed to be difficult in order to discover what the entire team can do together when they are placed under significant stress,” Wriede said.

“[The training trip] is a good way for the team to come together during the competition season. Everyone [gets] in shape, and being together 24 hours a day helps the team bond together,” Beth Nicholson ’17 said.

Rooming together helped unite the team.

“Since we live together on training trips, we get to know each other better in a lot of ways,” captain Sean Han ’15 said. “As we wake each other for morning practices, cook together, and go hang out on the beach together, the team gradually becomes unified.”

The coaches are confident that this training trip has played a role in preparing them for their upcoming meets.

“Even though this team is young, it has shown resiliency in tough times, which is what the coaching staff is looking for,” Wriede said.

The team races Saturday at Mercersburg.