Starting her swim journey at the age of eight, Serena Pannuci was welcomed into the world of swimming by her older brother who became such an influential mentor to her. He helped create an immense love for swimming in her through his advice and friendly swimming competitions with her.
To Panucci, swimming may look easy, but it is more complex than it appears. Even then she still encourages others to give swimming a try because the lessons learned from swimming can be applied to life outside of the swimming pool. Some of these lessons include consistency to the sport and commitment to fulfilling her element as an athlete. Spending two hours of practice every day, each week can grow tiresome, yet she remains determined to give each day her best effort.
“One quality of mine that I liked is remaining mature in situations because it’s high school, and while being on a team there will be conflict,” Panucci said. Her attitude toward practices and swim meets did not go unnoticed by her teammates. According to Vasiliky Economakos, one of Pannuci’s teammates, the team appreciates Pannuci’s continuous optimism in situations and her ability to see the best in people.
Mai Abdalla, another teammate, affirms that “Serena is always uplifting those around her and pushing not just me but the whole team to do even better.”
As a senior, Panucci feels that she has become a role model for underclassmen. She aims to help her teammates “make the best of their season by focusing on the fun time.”
“This is high school; enjoy and explore what else is there, and if you’re not on a team consider being on one because you have the chance to create new environments that are fun outside of school and [opportunities to create] new friends,” Pannuci said. She and the rest of the swim team say that “we’re one big lock” — a common phrase used by the team dedicated to making sure that they’re all in this together.
