The moment he hit the water, the stress and nerves about the competition faded away in an instant. Finley Rossato describes placing 12th overall for state as, “An exciting feeling that pushes me to only do better.”

On Thursday, February 6th, 2025, the Page Swim Team competed at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Raleigh. This competition was a good representation for Page High School because the team placed 12th overall in state, and a member broke his previous record. State team member Finley Rossato shares his perspective on the competition that finished 12th in overall state, and the men’s 500 freestyle placed 5th overall. “During the competition, the only feeling that was going through my head was excitement, and this feeling only pushed me further. It was a cool moment to be able to state and compete,” described Rossato. As a swimmer, making sure you are calm and keeping your nervousness low is important. When asked about how he dealt with his competition nerves, Rossato explained, “Before the race I was very nervous, and during the race I felt like I could’ve done better. After my turn, my nerves calmed down, and I felt better when competing.” Rossato’s plans for the following year are to begin year-round competing. After graduation, Rossato would like to take a year off and work as a lifeguard at Carolina Beach. From a young age, Rossato always knew he wanted to do swimming, especially when he set a record at only 6 years old. Rossato describes him getting into swimming when he was introduced to it as a kid by his mother and expressed, “I started at 6 years old during one summer at Lake Jenette pool, where I set the record for the 25-minute freestyle.” His mother was a competitive swimmer and got Rossato into competitive swimming. After the successful competition, Rossato wanted to send a message to his coaches, who taught him everything he needed to know for the competition. “Although I wasn’t the first pick for the relay, I still felt like I didn’t do amazing. In the future I want to do better and be better,” noted Rossato.

Works Cited

Interview Finely Rossato: https://gcsnccom-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/personal/6421379575_stu_gcsnc_com/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B95468B98-D13F-4F69-B439-320DC6CB51D5%7D&file=Swimmer%20Interview.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true