Senior Missy Beall has recently begun her last swimming season at McIntosh High School.
Beall began swimming at 7 years old when she tried it out for a summer league team. She has swum for SCAT year-round ever since her swimming career began. When asked who has influenced her swimming career the most, Missy said, “My mom has definitely played the woke her at 4 a.m. and drove her to practice. Missy said, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without her constant support.”
Coaches have also had a significant influence on Missy’s swimming career. She said, “My coaches have always pushed me pretty hard in practice, and I am a stronger person (physically and mentally) because of them.” Missy said she appreciates that her coaches are tough on her. She said that she realizes it is because they care about her and her success and know she can achieve what she really puts her head to. Missy said that they push her to do her best and her hard work has paid off over the years.
Missy said that her coaches have done a lot of crazy things, but one memory sticks out in her mind. She said, “One year during winter, my coach made the team go outside and run around the building while it was snowing. We weren’t in trouble or anything; he just did it to entertain himself.”
Swimming for approximately 11 years now, Missy has many seasons upon which to reflect. She said that her junior year of high school was her favorite thus far. She said, “I did consistently well at my meets and competed at Junior Nationals for the first time.” However, her favorite memory was when she was 13. Missy said, “My two best friends and I stayed in a house on the beach with our parents, and in between preliminaries and finals, we went crazy. We used all our energy at the beach, so we didn’t swim well at finals, but it was worth it.” Although she had one state meet where she didn’t do well, Missy had plenty more opportunities later in her career.
Missy has been contacted by multiple colleges, including Notre Dame, Northwestern, Brown, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, and San Diego. However, this fall, she committed to the University of San Diego. Missy said, “The team and school are a perfect fit for me, and I can’t wait to go to live on the beach.” After she finishes her undergraduate degree, Missy hopes to attend Brown University for graduate school. She hasn’t decided on a major yet, but she believes it will be something involving math or science.
When asked what her dream job is, Missy said, “I think working at Sea World is probably the coolest job in the world.” She also plans to live in a variety of cities when she’s older to discover the location that fits her best.
