Hazel HuIiman, ’26, is a star Boulder High swim team member. Hoping to swim at a D1 level, her main focus in the pool is swimming to achieve faster and faster times. However, Hazel still manages to balance her work ethic with being a good teammate.
Hazel’s main event is the 100 breaststroke, in which she swims a remarkable 1:05.06. Hazel received this time extremely recently in December! Although the 100 breaststroke is her main event and, as she says, her favorite, Hazel, also swims in many other events. These events are the individual medley or IM, in which you swim butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and 100 butterfly or fly. In the IM, Hazel’s best time is a 57.41, which she received in March of 2023 as a freshman at Boulder High. In the 100 fly, her best time is a 2:07.88, which Hazel also received this past December.
Hazel has been a swimmer for quite some time. Getting into it seven years ago, Hazel first found her love for the pool at swim lessons. Not only does Hazel swim for the Boulder High swim team, but she is also a member of the Elevations Athletics Club swim team. Hazel said, “My favorite part about swimming is having the competitive aspect of racing and being able to have fun with my friends all at the same time.”
Swimming for Boulder High has been a positive experience for Hazel. The whole team shows out at meets to support each other, and the environment is extremely positive and supportive. Hazel described the culture on the Boulder High team as “very positive and encouraging.” She said, “My favorite part of being on the team is the support and hype that everyone brings at meets!”
In terms of her personal goals and achievements, Hazel said, “I consider my biggest accomplishment in swimming to be finaling at sectionals twice after only coming back to swimming six months prior.” Like many high-achieving athletes, Hazel works hard at practice to perform at the level she expects from herself. After a season of working extremely hard, Hazel broke a school record. As part of a team of four, swimming the 200 relay, Hazel and her teammates are now school record holders!
Burnout, a shared experience among athletes, is hard to avoid. Burnout is a feeling of not wanting to continue doing something, whether schoolwork or a sport. In sports, this feeling is usually caused by too much training and too little rest. To avoid this, Hazel said she takes time to “do other things and enjoy life outside of the pool.” Hazel also says that she is motivated to continue to swim because she enjoys the process of getting faster and racing at her best. Another form of motivation for Hazel is her support system, which consists of her friends, teammates, and family. Hazel said, “My biggest supporters are my family, especially my mom.”
Although the Boulder High swim season is over, support Hazel in her club season as she strives to meet her goals and achieve more personal records!
