In The Pool with Roxanne Yu
“In The Pool” is a series highlighting the University of Miami swimming & diving student-athletes. First up is one of Miami’s senior tri-captains, Roxanne Yu.
My hometown is the Philippines, Manilla, very near the presidential palace but not quite in it, very sadly so.
I came to Miami because I knew that this would be the best place for me. The weather for one, is very similar the Philippines. Another thing I was very impressed about, was when I found out that the school was the first school to give out athletic scholarships to women back in 1973. I feel like this is the type of place that is big on making history and I want to be part of that culture.
I love swimming because it gives me an avenue to release all my stress. Swimming is something I grew up with, swimming is part of my identity. Without swimming I don’t think the traits I have and the personality I poses would be shaped as it is. So, I am very thankful to swimming.
My team is a bunch of girls. 17 right now – it’s very diverse but is also a backbone. Every member on the team has a very different personality and I feed off that and it makes me a more well-rounded person not only in the water, but also outside of it.
In ten years for sure I am done with swimming. But also, I think I will have a family. I will be in the Philippines, for sure. I will have a career, hopefully involving private investigation, if not that then I want to be involved in the national bureau of investigation in the Philippines. I also would like to live in the country side, so very peaceful, very laid-back environment.
The ACC Championships this year is going to be the best year out of all the years I have been here. First, because we are a better and stronger team. We have a mix of different personalities and I think we feed off of each other very nicely and complement each other as a team. I think this year the energy level has been so high, as soon as the semester started, and I have never seen that in the last three years, so ACC’s is going to be very good. We are headed in the right direction and by February we are going to be at the peak. I would say right now we are almost halfway there, so by February we will be there, or if there is a higher point than a peak, that is where we are going to be.
The Asian Games this year is actually one of the best meets I have had in my life, because it was a chance to represent my country, again, but this one was very different because it was a very senior level of swimming. At the same time I wasn’t only representing my country, but I was also representing The U, so that made it even more special.
My favorite quote currently is a Bible verse: “give thanks in all circumstances.” I think especially when we are struggling or in times of trouble or when we are just down, this quote gives me a lot of strength; in the water, outside of the water, in school, or personal problems. Every opportunity is a way to better myself regardless if it is a good one or a bad one. So, I just give thanks.
My goal this season is to make an impact on the team. Since it’s my senior year, when I am not here anymore, I want the girls to say, ‘It feels different without Rox around.’ And I try to do that in little bursts. If it’s in the pool, I try to work as hard as I can and hopefully people will catch on to that hard-working environment and hopefully bring up the team to a higher level of training. Also, when it comes to our freshmen, I know I’m only going to be with them for one year, but I want to make an impact on them and I want to be a big sister to them. Not only to them but to everyone of course, but especially to them because they need a lot of guidance and I just want to be there for them.
The best part of Miami is the opportunities I’ve had. I don’t think I would be able to have such a big support system whether in academics, or with my team, or my church, if I were with some other university and I feel very blessed that God directed me here. I feel like if it wasn’t Miami, then it wouldn’t work out for me. I feel so overwhelmed with emotion that this turned out to be the right fit. Despite all the ups and down and the struggles, it is just the perfect fit for me because I have grown as a person in Miami and it holds a very special place in my heart.
My coaches are Tanja and Coach Andy and I regard them as people who I respect and who I have full trust in. I know that what they want is to better the program and I want to be part of that, so I am just fully trusting of the coaches.
If I could eat one meal for the rest of my life it would be garlic rice with a sunny side egg on top and a fresh cup of watermelon shake.
My senior year will be a year full of reflection and also a year full of gratefulness because I want to make the most out of my last year being on the team. I know I will not get another opportunity to live it so, I just want to make the most out of it in every aspect. I want to be more involved in the church and school and taking the time to get to know more people on the team.
