When junior Taylor Wears-Aesa steps on the pool deck, she brings more than determination, she brings resilience and drive. Swimming the para 200-yard freestyle and the para 100-yard freestyle she earned her spot at state through hard work and determination. She will swim in Iowa City on Friday, Nov. 14.

“Going to state I have a lot of mixed emotions but I’m very excited, it means I made a lot of progress in my swimming and I’m excited to see everyone’s reactions,” Wears-Aesa said.

Wears-Aesa, who is visually impaired, relies on impressive technique as she counts every stroke to navigate the pool, knowing her stroke count to know the perfect time to turn shows remarkable physical and mental endurance. She began her journey last year, and her improvement is nothing but extraordinary. In her short amount of time, she has pushed through challenges and came so far. She has shown herself as a standout athlete in the para swimming division.

“She just started in tenth grade (last season) and has improved tremendously,” head swim coach Erin Lowe said.

Whether she is swimming through a long-distance event or powering through a sprint, Wears-Aesa shows what it means to preserve. With an unshakable positive attitude and a smile on her face, her swim journey is only getting started and the water hasn’t seen the best of her yet.