Slaughter makes a splash

Routine of a swimmer

Getting to go home is the least of her thoughts. While she is in the water, she is only focusing on
her goals.

Endless practicing and training. Savana Slaughter has been swimming ever since she was little.
With swim coming to an end, Slaughter finally gets time to relax and get ready for the next
season of swimming. Slaughter was not on the water polo team, but she still supported all her
teammates through the season.

Slaughter had been competing for her old team, The Bull Sharks, before joining the Hebron
swim team. It had been her dream since she was 8. Slaughter’s dad, Bret Slaughter, was
constantly taking Savana to swim events when she was younger.
“She wanted to join,” Mr. Slaughter said. “She had always wanted to swim.”

Alongside being with close friends everyday while practicing, there is also hard work that must
be done when it comes to swimming. Slaughter has to wake up early almost every morning to
train and work out.
“I wake up at four thirty is the morning and it sucks,” Slaughter said. “I used to get up at seven
thirty for school and I thought I was dying.”

Slaughter has to get to school very early for exercising, like running and doing laps in the
aquatic center. That being said, she is away from home for a lot longer than the average high
school student.
“Savana is constantly at school for swimming.” Mr. Slaughter said, “Every morning.”

Slaughter has made lots of friends while swimming this year. One student, Sofia Salas, also
goes through lots of the same workouts and routines as Slaughter.
“I really like how it is a nice way to exercise,” Salas said. “It’s very relaxing and it helps me to get
out. If I’m having problems at home, I get in the water and I completely forget about it.”

Salas also has to wake up early for swimming. Although they have different schedules, they
both are working to reach the same goals.
“[The time I wake up] varies from five thirty to six AM,” Salas said. If I want time [to get ready], I
wake up at five thirty, and if I feel like rushing out of the house, I wake up at six.”

It had been a long season Slaughter said and now all the work was finally coming to an end.
Even though Slaughter didn’t make it to district, she worked alongside all of her teammates.
“We had one girl, her name is Maryanne, go to district and she is really good,” Slaughter said.
“Our water polo team made it to regionals so that was good.”

Next year, Slaughter and Salas will be welcoming new teammates. Specifically the incoming 9th
graders.
“Oh yeah, I actually would [encourage people to join swim],” Salas said. “It’s really amazing on
your body and it’s a great way of exercise.”

Savana Slaughter poses in her old swim team uniform.