By Aanuoluwapo Akingbemi, Sept. 20, 2022
The Bronco Swim Challenge is a challenge for students who love to swim, or students who know how to swim, and are up for a challenge this school year. The Bronco Swim Challenge was launched in fall of 2021 by the aquatics department of the BRIC. For the 2022-23 school year, the program started in August, at the start of the Fall semester.
The Bronco Swim Challenge program began as a way to motivate students to swim laps and exercise. As students take on this challenge, they are encouraged to reach 100 miles but as they reach specific milestones, they are awarded prizes and rewards. For students who swim 25 miles, they win a swim cap and goggles, at 50 miles, they are awarded with a swimsuit, at 75 miles, they win a tote bag and at 100 miles, they win a beach towel.
Students can sign up on the ASI portal for this 12-week challenge. The program is free to join and students receive weekly reminders checking in with them on their progress.
“There are no requirements to join,” said Alejandra Gomez, the aquatics manager at the BRIC. “And there’s no technique that we expect our students to swim at. They can doggie paddle, they can float on their back, one way to the pool and back and that can count. It’s really just getting themselves in the pool, working out to whatever they’re comfortable working out in, and yeah, no requirements. Just signing up. If they don’t feel comfortable in the water, they can do it in our leisure pool, which isn’t as deep.”
Students have different reasons that push them to join a club or activity on campus. Same goes for the students who signed up for the Bronco Swim Challenge.
Christian Aguirre, a third-year pre-veterinary student, said, “Since there is no water polo here, and I was in water polo at Mt. San Antonio College, I joined because I wanted a way to stay fit. Water polo was a crazy exercise for me, so it kept me in shape, and I wanted to continue that. I felt like swimming was a way to do that.”
For those who are interested in participating during spring or are unable to complete 100 miles by the end of fall semester, students are able to continue in the spring semester.
“I just encourage students to come and participate and try it out,” said Gomez. “It will give them an opportunity to know other swimmers or students that enjoy the water, as well as to get them involved with our aquatic programs that we have to offer at the BRIC.”
Zachary Carter, a first-year landscape architecture student who signed up for the swim challenge said, “I was sad at first because there was no swim team and I wanted to do that, but I said, ‘let me try out for something else.’ I saw the Bronco Swim Challenge and I was like okay cool, this looks cool. I looked it up to see what it was, and I saw the 25, 50, 75 and 100 milestones. I said, I could try to do it, I’m going to push myself as hard as I can to do the 100 miles.”
Carter has already begun to swim miles since signing up at the beginning of the semester and has enjoyed his experience so far. It’s helped him find a way to exercise and meet people who share his love for swimming.
“For me, I like swimming because it calms me down,” said Carter. “It’s soothing. It’s also great cardio. The first week, I met someone and started talking to him, and I got to know about his love for swimming. It’s nice to see other people, ‘like oh you swim too?’ and you just start talking. It’s a great way to make friends.”
For CPP students who are interested in a new challenge to try out and make new friends along the way, consider signing up for the Bronco Swim Challenge. Students can stretch their swimming abilities and also get in a cardio workout while they’re at it.
Feature image courtesy of Silas Hood