Ingles Athlete of the Week: Taylor Goodwin

Name: Taylor Goodwin

School, grade: Roberson, sophomore

Sport: Swimming

How did you get into swimming?

I used to do ballet, but I didn't like that because it was too slow-paced for me. Then I started gymnastics, and when I was seven, I joined a summer league for swimming, and found I really love it. I started my year-round team when I was nine. When I was little, we had a pool in our backyard, so every afternoon I would be swimming in the pool. So I've just always had a love for water.

What was your process of figuring out your strengths are as a swimmer?

When I was 10, at my first long-course meet, my coach put me in the 400 free. That was maybe my first time swimming it, and I made the state cut for my age group. That's when coaches saw that I had potential in the mid-distance area.

For high school meets, how do you decide which events you'll be swimming in?

It's normally about how the [rest of] the field looks. But if my coach is comfortable and thinks that we'll definitely win, he'll ask me what I want to swim. ... I'm not as excited when it's not my favorite event, but obviously I'll swim it because I know it will do good for my team and I want my team to win.

You set the MAC record for the 100 freestyle at the conference championships this year. Why was that meet particularly important for you?

Last year, I had COVID so I wasn't able to swim at the conference meet, so I really wanted to win conference this year. And Asheville High is one of our biggest rivals, so I really wanted to beat them this year. I wasn't aware of the record until after the meet.

What are your goals for the postseason?

I'm hoping to break the Roberson 500 free record at regionals or states.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Ingles Athlete of the Week: Taylor Goodwin, Roberson swimming