By Carole King
When Independence High School swim coach Haley Marchant needs an athlete for an event at the last minute, she knows upcoming senior Kaylie Flenar will save the day.
“She’s the unsung hero of our team,” Marchant says. “Kaylie is always willing to try and determined to improve her skills.”
Kaylie joined the team her freshman year with no competitive swimming experience and has since grown in knowledge, strength, endurance, and speed, according to Marchant.
“She has swum several difficult races since joining the team, and this year added the 500 Freestyle to her list. When approached with swimming the 500 for a meet, she timidly agreed but then later asked to do it again so she could do even better. That’s Kaylie!”
Kaylie says her grandmother is her inspiration to jump in and try new things.
“My grandma inspires me because she was the one to teach me to put myself out there,” says Kaylie. “When I was younger, I wasn’t open to trying new things because I was afraid of embarrassing myself. However, she taught me that I shouldn’t be worried if I do something wrong, and I should be more focused on taking the chance to find something that I enjoy doing and can improve at.”
VYPE SPORTS was delighted to speak with Kaylie in a recent interview.
VYPE SPORTS: What were your personal goals for swim team this year?
One of my personal goals for the year is to improve my techniques with my flip turns and breathing. For this year, I started doing more long-distance events like the 500-yard swim, and it’s hard to consistently do perfect flip turns and pace myself, so I’ve been trying hard to perfect my technique.
VYPE SPORTS: What is your favorite memory about your association with this team?
My favorite memory with this team is when we have our team dinners whether it’s after practice or after a meet. During these times, we aren’t as focused on swimming and we’re able to relax and laugh.
VYPE SPORTS: What teammate has left the biggest impression on you and why?
The teammate that has left the biggest impression on me is Daniella Torres. Although I only experienced her being on the team during my freshman year, she was the one pushing me to do my absolute best. When I joined the swim team in my freshman year, I knew nothing about swimming, but Daniella was able to guide me and give me the confidence I needed. Whenever I was struggling with things like doing my flip turns, she would spend extra time helping me practice them. There were times when I felt like I wasn’t able to do better in swimming, but Daniella was always giving words of encouragement, which made me strive to accomplish my goals.
VYPE SPORTS: What is your favorite part of being a part of this team?
My favorite part of being a part of this team is how supporting everyone is. If I’m not feeling confident with an event or my technique, Coach Marchant or one of the other girls will give me advice on how I can improve myself.
VYPE SPORTS: What clubs, community groups, or campus groups are you involved with and why?
I am involved in Debate, Forensics, and FFA. Through these activities, I have enjoyed being able to learn more about topics whether it’s a political topic or agriculture related. They have also helped to build my self-confidence, especially when it comes to public speaking.
VYPE SPORTS: What accolades (in any sport or non-athletic activity) are you most proud of?
For Debate, my partner and I both did well in my sophomore and junior years, which helped us to qualify state. During my freshman and sophomore years, I had the opportunity to qualify for state in Duet Acting, Improvised Duet Acting, and Informative Speaking in Forensics. For FFA, I competed in Prepared Public Speaking, in which I received seventh place.
VYPE SPORTS: What has this sport taught you that you use in your daily life?
Swimming taught me to push through even when times seem difficult in my daily life. Swim always challenges me, but I always manage to get through it, which in turn helps me deal with my school work.
VYPE SPORTS: What is the best advice that anyone has given you?
The best advice anyone has given me is “Don’t let things get into your head.” This taught me not to stress or overthink things because in the end it won’t benefit me in any way.
Congratulations Kaylie for your many accomplishments and for setting such a great example of the Bulldog “can-do” attitude on swim team and in Forensics. VYPE SPORTS can’t wait to see you shine during your senior year!
