When freshman Mako Chirisa dove into the pool at his first meet, he felt an energy that pushed him to finish the 50 free, one of his favorite events, as best he could. For him, it’s not about where he placed in the meet, but instead, it was about the hard work and dedication it took to get there.

Chirisa is on the LHS junior varsity swim team. He participates in a variety of events.

“I mainly do 50 free, 100 free, and sometimes medley relay,” Chirisa said. “I do 50 free because it tests my speed and it’s really intense and I do the medley relays because they’re a team event.”

To improve as a swimmer, Chirisa is a part of a club swim team during the off-season. He works hard every day during and after practice, which helps him become the best swimmer he can be.

“I’m seeing what I need to improve on and what things I can do to become a better swimmer,” Chirisa said. “Swim is a hard thing to do, it is very intense and takes a lot of work. I try as hard as I can to get better at certain things when I’m not at practice.”

Chirisa’s dedication to swimming keeps him honing his skills throughout the year.

“I’m currently doing club swim because that helps me stay in shape for the next swim season,” Chirisa said.

Chirisa finds inspiration in other swimmers and is highly anticipating the upcoming Olympics because of it.

“I’ll be rooting for Caeleb Dressel,” Chirisa said. “He’s very inspirational to me because he looked up to people like Michael Phelps and was able to learn a lot from them. I feel like he’s helped me become a better swimmer.”

Chirisa’s tenacious attitude does not go unnoticed.

Freshman Sam Brusven, who has known Chirisa since seventh grade, knows all about his relentless nature.

“If he wants something he’ll go for it and make it known he wants it, like how he’s always talking about swim and how he really enjoys it,” Brusven said. “He’s really funny and he’s always there for you. He’s pretty lighthearted he knows when to mess around but if something is going on then he’ll support you.”

Chirisa doesn’t only work hard in swim, but also in AVID, a program that helps prepare students for college and develop the skills they need to be successful.

“There are different levels in AVID,” he said. “We work on organization, then we start looking at scholarships and getting used to high school, if you want to go to college it helps you with finding a college.”

Chirisa believes hard work is the key to getting better. AVID teacher Deanna Neldon thinks very highly of him.

“Mako is a genuine person, he is nice, caring, polite and respectful,” Neldon said. “Mako is a remarkable person and everyone should take a chance and get to know him.”