Since she was eight years old, Allison Duran has been swimming competitively. The 19-year-old biology major has come a long way in the past 11 years, though.

“My parents put us kids into all kinds of sports, and swimming was the only thing I was good at, so it stuck,” she said.

She has remained dedicated to the sport despite the frequent practices.

Duran said that swimming is very demanding, and a lot of people quit the team because they were unable to balance school, work and swimming.

“We practice Monday though Saturday and twice a day on Mondays. Tuesdays and Thursdays,” she said. “It’s very difficult to try and work school with swimming, and it gets frustrating at times, but it’s worth it.”

According to Duran, she places first or second in her main events every meet, and her achievements have earned her a place on the University of Hawaii’s swimming team next fall.

“I’m definitely looking forward to swimming for a Division 1 college next year, and I want to go as far as I can with it. I want to go to nationals and compete with higher- ranking swimmers.”

Head swimming coach Charlie Pike said that Duran is such a good swimmer because “she has the swimmer’s body type and is very fast underwater. She has a very good streamline and kick outs. She is a typical swimmer, does all the work and made all the practices, things that make to better tools for success. ”

Duran, who races in the 200 individual medley and the 50 and 100 backstroke, has qualified for state in all of her events as well as the 800 free relay, which begins the weekend of April 23. If she does well, she may receive a scholarship for swimming.

Duran said that she is not a competitive personal naturally, and that her sisters are her biggest support and help to her out of the pool.

“My sisters are always trying to help and encourage me and tell me new ways to be confident in myself,” she said. “They always help me.”

Pike said that he would “love to see her win the state title. She was close last year, and she has definitely put in the work and the effort and already beat her times from last year.

“I love swimming and will continue it all my life. I’ve always loved sports, and since I first began swimming, I have loved the atmosphere and all of the people I have met. It’s so much fun, and I love being involved.it’s something I’ve always done, and I don’t even think about it anymore. It’s such a huge, important part of my life,” she said.