Olofson plans to attend Bentley University for swimming.
Courtesy Twitter Photo/ @Winnawar
Olofson signs to swim at Bentley University
Brydie Olofson has been swimming since she was six years old. In the fall Olofson will be attending Bentley University in Waltham, Mass and swimming for their team.
As soon as Olofson set foot on the campus of Bentley University,she said she knew it was right.
“I went on a lot of tours but none of them really seemed right, the second I stepped on campus people were super nice,” Olofson said. “They also had the majors I wanted to do. It just felt like the right fit.”
Olofson said she decided she wanted to swim in college her freshman year of highschool but she said she didn’t realize she was good enough until her junior year when she started reaching out to schools and they said “they wanted me on their team.”
“I was interested in the team and told the coach I wanted to meet. When we met we talked about what the team has to offer and when the practice times are,” Olofson said. “Then I went and visited the coach and the team during an open house. They were all really nice and it just felt like the perfect fit.”
Olofson said that while on campus that day she told the coach she would commit because of how much she loved the team, the environment and the campus all around.
Olofson swims for the Winnacunnet swim team as well as the club team Solo Aquatics. She swims the 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, and the 100 freestyle.
One of Olofson’s biggest inspirations is her Coach Harrison Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth coached both Solo Aquatics and the Winnacunnet swim team.
“We have had a lot of goal talks together, he has talked me through what swimming in college means and what steps I need to take to get there,” Olofson said.
Hollingsworth said she has grown immensely over the years and has loved watching her grow into a “confident young athlete.”
“Brydie may be one of the truest friends and teammate’s a person could ask for. She always puts everyone else's needs ahead of her own,” Olofson said. “Her constant caring and positive attitude make her a great addition to any team.”
Brydie Olofson’s Mother, Kerry Olofson said she is equally as proud.
“She is a very hard worker. She puts every ounce of energy she has into something that is important to her,” Kerry said. “When things don't come easy to her, it does not stop her or discourage her. She keeps plugging away until she reaches her goal.”
Brydie Olofson said that she is also very grateful for her time on the Winnacunnet team.
“College swimming is a lot more like highschool swimming because it's more of a team sport, rather than on my club team which was more individual,” Brydie Olofson said. “I am so grateful I was able to swim on the Winnacunnet team because it prepared me for more of a team sport rather than an individual sport.”
Although Brydie Olofson said she will miss her teammates dearly, she said she is really looking forward to next fall’s “change in scenery.”
“I am just excited for something new,” Brydie Olofson said. “I have been on the same team since I was 6 years old. New faces, new coaches (even though I love my coaches), just a change of scenery.”
Kerry Olofson is sad to see her go but said she is so proud of her accomplishments.
“I guess I would tell her to continue to choose kindness. It is harder to be kind, while it is easier to be rude. Being rude requires no effort, yet being kind requires self discipline and great understanding,” Kerry Olofson said. “Brydie is one of those people who possesses these virtues and can continue to take the high road.”