Playing a sport in college is an unforgettable experience for the athletes who are lucky enough and work hard enough to reach that level. It is a privilege that athletes must work towards throughout their entire childhood, and make sacrifices day in and day in an effort to achieve their goals. This March, senior and WA Girls’ Swim & Dive captain Cara Dominici officially accomplished her dream of swimming in college when she committed to Swarthmore College.

Dominici began swimming at five years old at Westford Swim & Tennis Club to follow in her older sister’s footsteps. During her early years in the pool, no one around her would have predicted that she would end up dedicating her childhood to the sport. 

“I actually did not enjoy swimming when I was young and wanted to quit many times, but I stuck with it after I joined a highly competitive team in middle school,” Dominici said. “That team gave me a family and sparked my passion for the sport, which hasn’t died since.”

During Dominici’s middle school years, she quickly realized that she wanted to swim at the collegiate level. She joined the extremely competitive Crimson Aquatics program, which really began to help her reach new heights. 

As Dominci began to climb the ranks amongst New England swimmers, she began qualifying for invitationals across the country. Realizing that she had the potential to get even faster and rank even higher, Dominci doubled down on her training. She fully committed to getting faster, even if it meant sacrificing other aspects of her childhood.

“I always knew that I wanted to swim in college after joining my first competitive team,” Dominici said. “Since middle school I have been training and competing at high levels, with the ultimate end-game to swim in college.”

Dominici has also been lucky enough to swim at WA for the same coaches that she began her swimming career with at just five years old from Westford Swim & Tennis Club. Since starting high school, Dominici has also left Crimson Aquatics, joining Solo Aquatics for her high school years, and was named captain of the WA team this year.  

“I was a captain this year and it meant a lot to me knowing that my teammates trusted me with the role. I really wanted to help the underclassman create good memories of the sport and to find love for it,” Dominici said. “I am happy I was able to contribute to this year’s positive team atmosphere and support system inside and outside of the pool.”

While Dominci has had plenty of success throughout her swimming career, it has not always been easy. In 2021, Dominici had to overcome a lot of adversity after COVID-19. Pools were shut down during the pandemic, so Dominici and many other swimmers lost a lot of their progress. However, Dominici pushed through, doubling her training until she got back to where she needed to be.

“Coming back from Covid quarantining in 2021 was the hardest thing I had to overcome in the sport. But after months of rebuilding I was able to start dropping time again,” Dominici said.

Once Dominici was back to performing at the high level she was used to, she began gaining college interest, and Swarthmore was at the top of her list from the very beginning. 

“I knew Swarthmore was the right fit because of the way the school valued high intensity in both the classroom and in the pool. The team is super passionate about everything they do, whether that’s swimming or schoolwork, and I knew I wanted to be a part of an environment like that,” Dominici said. “Swarthmore is also top of their conference and has been for years. They also send a group of swimmers to NCAAs every year and it is my goal to be a part of that group when I start swimming for the team.”

Throughout the recruiting process, it is easy for athletes to lose focus on enjoying the sport due to the pressure coming from coaches, parents, and other outside sources. Many athletes spend so much time preparing to perform at the collegiate level that when they look up their high school time is over. For Dominici, the recruiting process was stressful, and while she looks forward to her next four years at Swarthmore, she looks back at her time in high school with no regrets. 

“I am extremely excited that my college career will be starting. Although I will be sad to leave behind my club and high school teammates who I have grown up swimming with, I don’t feel like I am losing any part of my sport moving from high school to college because I know that there will always be something else to work towards,” Dominici said. “I am thankful for all of the experiences I have had through club and high school swimming, but am looking forward to meeting new teammates and competing on a new level, too.”