By Kaitlyn Corcoran, Luara El-dine and Mirna Gouhar

Rachel Shufflebarger, a sophomore WHS, swim team member, leads a life that is centered on swimming. From a completely adapted diet to the time commitment, Shufflebarger does it all for swim and still has free time.

“I will plan out my entire day based on homework, the time of swimming and other things I have to do.”

Shufflebarger claims that although swimming is the hardest thing that she does, she loves it because it’s fun, competitive and she makes a lot of friends.

Shufflebarger has been swimming competitively on a club team since the age of six. “I wait all year to swim on the Westborough High School swim team because the meets are fun and we are all really close”, Shufflebarger says.

This year she concludes her second year on the school swim team. Her goal for next year is to place in states. In her youth, Shufflebarger played soccer but had to quit so she could join a club swim team. When asked what team was more competitive, her school team or club team, Shufflebarger responded with her High School team.

“High school is much more competitive, and the whole dynamic is different. Team mates are closer knit.”

In her free time, Shufflebarger likes to hang out with friends and just relax. During the first month offseason, Shufflebarger enjoys going on runs to stay in shape and needs to eat pretty clean; nevertheless, this doesn’t keep her from eating ice cream or mac and cheese, she adds with a smile.

When asked about her plans for swimming in the future, Shufflebarger says that if she gets a scholarship to swim in college at a school that she really wants to go to, she will, but if she doesn’t get the opportunity, she is ok with that too. Swimming is not a very well-known sport, but it’s the love for it that keeps her into it.