One Stroke Ahead Of The Rest: Taylor Cook Makes Waves On The Swim Team

Freshman Taylor Cook prepares for the 1000 meter backstroke in a district swimming meet. Cook has proven herself to be a powerful asset to the CCHS swim team despite her young age. Photo Credit: JESSICA WEAVER

BY BRANDON SLOANE

With a whistle blast signaling the start of the race, Taylor Cook takes a diving leap into the pool.  She comes up for air, swimming with fierce intensity. Each one of her strokes is more powerful than the last. Even going against a skilled opponent from St. Thomas, Cook is not overwhelmed and performs like a seasoned swimmer. Coming into the final lap, she has a slim lead over her adversary and is able emerge victorious, coming in first in the 1000 meter race. This is the type of grace under pressure one would expect from a seasoned veteran, not a mere freshman, yet Cook is winning races and respect in her very first season with the Cowboys.

Ever since she was a baby, swimming has been a part of Cook’s life. She learned to swim when she was a few months old, and joined the Cooper City Cyclones, when she was four. She has been swimming with the team ever since. In addition to swimming with the Cyclones, Taylor has attended various swim camps, including one at Florida Gulf Coast University, to help hone her skills.

For Cook, swimming is more than just a sport. It is a way for her to relieve the daily stresses that come with being a high school student. When she is in the water, she feels at peace with herself and the world around her.

“I just love being in the water,” Cook said. “It is very calming for me.”

As with most great athletes, Cook’s skills did not come without a lot of hard work. Her rigorous training schedule includes practicing six days a week for three hours a day. This conditioning and exercising keeps her in top physical condition and is a testament to her work ethic.

“Taylor’s best quality is definitely her drive to be great,” girl’s swim coach Linda Snider said. “It is that kind of effort that separates good swimmers from great swimmers.”

However, what arguably might be Cook’s most valuable trait is the belief she has in herself. Even though she regularly is pitted against more experienced swimmers, she always believes that she can come out victorious.

“I don’t really get intimidated by swimming against older girls,” Cook said. “I always go into a race with the mentality that I can win.”

This year Cook has done just that, winning 1st place in multiple races for the Cowboys. What’s even more astounding is Cook’s stellar out of school accomplishments. Cook placed in 6 different events in the sectionals swimming competition where she went head to head against the top tier swimmers in South Florida.

For Cook, her swimming career is not something that she wants to end once she graduates high school. She has already had talks with various schools about scholarship opportunities, and is looking to swim competitively in college.

“I would love to swim at the collegiate level, and it would also be great to get a good education at a good school.” Cook Said.

But for now, Taylor is trying to balance her swimming career with her academic studies and trying to live like a regular high school student. With her passion and dedication and great work ethic, there is no question Taylor will ultimately be successful in her future endeavors.