Elias Mendez is a senior at Stillwater High School. He participates in swimming and NHS. He began his swimming career when he was five years old. At first, Mendez didn’t like it, but after hearing about the attention that a kid could get from winning medals, he decided to give it another try and has been swimming for twelve years now.
The highest moment in his career so far, was when he got a national cut for the first time. His favorite sports moment was when he won his first state title in the 200-meter individual medley swim with his team. He’s previously been awarded Oklahoma Swimmer of the Year twice, USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, USA Today Metro Sports Award Swimmer of the Year finalist twice, All-City First Team 200 IM, and All-City First Team 100 Back.
His biggest positive impacts have been his parents and his coaches because they push him to be a better swimmer and person. His biggest role model is his mom, because of her determination and good character.
In his free time, Mendez likes to hang out with friends and play guitar and video games. His favorite subject in school is political science, because his mom has a PhD in it and he’s always been interested in it. His favorite teacher is Ms. Sisler, because she was always nice and funny, and he learned a lot in her class. After high school, Mendez plans to go to Missouri State University to study finance or pre-law while taking his swimming career as far as he can.
To Mendez, being a great athlete means having a strong mindset. “You can be talented, but when things get hard, you have to be confident enough to push through it,” Mendez said. When things get tough for him, he reminds himself that God has a plan for him and he prays. Sports have taught him how to stay determined and how to handle pressure. His advice to his fellow athletes is to stay consistent. “You’re not going to feel great all the time, but show up and get the work done. Every practice adds up,” Mendez said.
By Ariel Casida
