January 18, 2019
By Maia Hahn-Du Pont and Jake Fernandes
Max Seidel, a senior at Lexington High School, is swimming in Wheaties. He qualified for the USA Swimming Scholastic All-American Team and the New England Swimming Top Ten List in 2017-2018, is ranked fifth in Massachusetts and placed third in 2017 in the New England Swimming Senior Championships for the 400 yard individual medley. That’s when he’s in the United States -- he’s also a member of the Swiss National Team.
“As a kid I always loved swimming,” Seidel said. “Being in the water always made me feel free and allowed me to get away from all the worries in my life.”
When he turned 12, Seidel joined a more competitive team, the Gators Swim Club, which he is still a part of today.
“What drives me, I would say, are the people around me,” Seidel said. “Everyday you have the opportunity to be better and being able to push your teammates to be the best they can be is a huge award.”
For Seidel, the benefits of sports go beyond the pool.
“Being able to balance a swim program of 20+ hours a week and [being] able to perform well in school has taught me many life skills and lessons that I will carry with me well after my days of swimming are over,” Seidel said.
Some of these skills include productivity, prioritization and organization.
“I have learned through swimming that there is never anything you can’t accomplish if you put your mind to it,” Seidel said.
He’s grateful for the doors swimming has opened for him.
“I think that my favorite thing about being on the team would be the experiences that I have gained through the sport. It has allowed me to travel places that I may not have gone otherwise and has opened up a lot of opportunities for me after high school,” Seidel said.
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