\u201cShe\u2019s swimming faster now than she\u2019s ever swam,\u201d said Kyle Oaks, head swimming and diving coach. \u201cShe is by far the best 200 breaststroke swimmer I\u2019ve ever coached as far as female athletes are concerned. If anybody is going to do it, it\u2019s going to be her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fearrin is already part of the Wright State records in the 200 and 400 medley relay, swimming the breaststroke leg. And she has placed among the top eight swimmers the past three years in the Horizon League championships.<\/p>\n
![\"Wright](\"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2016\/02\/Kayla-Fearrin-16903_013-508x338.jpg\")
<\/a>Wright State senior swimmer Kayla Fearrin excels in the pool and the classroom. (Photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n
Fearrin grew up in Carmel, Indiana, and began swimming when she was 6. She swam for her high school team, which is on the verge of winning 30 consecutive state championships. Her coaches saw that Fearrin was especially strong in the breaststroke, so they pushed her to improve her technique even more.<\/p>\n
Oaks said Fearrin has had to juggle swimming with a very demanding early childhood education program. Fearrin and her teammates are in the pool for practices at 5:40 a.m. She often swims up to six miles and practices four hours a day.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is one of the most disciplined people I know,\u201d Oaks said. \u201cShe has her up-and-down days just like anybody. But she really displays a lot of character and passion for the sport and passion for her goals \u2014 not only in the pool but in the classroom. It\u2019s pretty impressive. She deserves a lot of credit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fearrin says practices can be hard, but they are fun and can relieve stress.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have music going, and if we don\u2019t, it\u2019s just you in the pool. It\u2019s kind of peaceful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Fearrin is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids when she\u2019s not swimming. But she plays down that hurdle.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to hear sometimes in practice, but I have coaches that are willing to work with me. You kind of just get used to it almost,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m very good at reading lips. It hasn\u2019t been as hard as you would have thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fearrin\u2019s mother is an elementary school teacher and is a big part of why her daughter is majoring in early childhood education.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter school, I\u2019d be in the classroom, pretending to be a teacher,\u201d said Fearrin, who carries a 3.41 GPA at Wright State.<\/p>\n
![\"During](\"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2016\/02\/Kayla-Fearrin-16903_001-508x338.jpg\")
<\/a>During summer break, Fearrin has done mission work in Belize and Guatemala with her church group.<\/p><\/div>\n
During summer break, Fearrin has done mission work in Belize and Guatemala with her church group. They staged concerts, played basketball and held a Bible school for the children. In Guatemala, they built a house for a needy family.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were just so incredibly happy,\u201d she said. \u201cIt just brings tears to your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fearrin said Wright State has helped her excel, both in the pool and the classroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cWright State has given me the opportunity to see where I could go and pushed me to that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Oaks said Fearrin has contributed to changing the culture of the team and will be missed when she graduates.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019ll be one of those special ones you\u2019ll always remember,\u201d he said. \u201cI just hope we can find someone else who can come close to that type of person. It will definitely be a loss for us, but what she\u2019s done will also last forever.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wright State senior swimmer Kayla Fearrin excels in the pool and the classroom. Continue reading