AUSTIN, Texas — Liberty Hill senior Madelyn Edwards is no stranger to the pool. A swimmer for the Varsity Swim Team, she gets a bit of calm from the water. “It’s just… a stress relief for me,” she tells us. She says that as she moves through the water, she can feel her body getting stronger and “it just washes every worry away.”
That level-headed thinking helps her be there for her teammates when they need it most. Her coach calls her “Mama Madelyn” because of her ability to see what others need and provide that support. As a senior, she’s grown into a teammate that looks out for some of the newest swimmers on the team.
When not in the pool, she builds endurance weight training and exercises with the team. Madelyn said movements, like box jumping, make it easier to navigate in the pool and push off the blocks during races as it increases leg strength.
Despite a busy schedule, she balances school and sports — even taking advanced classes.
“Doing all that on top of my regular studies has been fulfilling to keep all my grades up,” she tells us.
After graduation, Madelyn has her sights set on Stephen F. Austin, where she’ll major in ecology and evolutionary biology. A nature lover and member of the Environmental Club at Liberty Hill, she has goals to improve the world.
“I love making sure that the Earth is taken care of, the school is taken care of — that we can make the world a better place.”
The Spectrum News 1 Scholar Athlete Program recognizes exceptional public high school student athletes with academic scholarship awards of $1,000 each for use toward college expenses. If you know a teen you’d like to nominate, click here to learn more.