Athlete spotlight: James Wood swimmer Sara Fergus

February 21, 2012

Sara Fergus

James Wood High School 14-year-old freshman

Sport: Swimming

Events: 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, 500 freestyle, 100 butterfly

Parents: Andrea and Allan Fergus

Hometown: Born in Albany, N.Y., and moved to Winchester right before she started Kindergarten

Nickname:[Senior teammate] Chad Schott calls me "Ferg." He said he wanted to give me a nickname and that's what he chose.

When did you start swimming:I started doing summer swimming when I was 8 and then I moved to [Valley Swim Team] Phoenix swimming year-round when I was 10. When I started summer swimming I didn't like it at all, I hated the cold water, but then when I joined Phoenix it was more competitive and they gave me goals and I had a reason to want to swim more.

What you love about swimming:I love how I can push myself and my swims are based on my performance, but I still have my team cheering me on.

Biggest strength and weakness in swimming:My strength is my endurance, I'm best with distance events. My weakness is breath control, I can't hold me breath very well.

Sports you always wanted to try:Diving. I would love to be a diver, that would be cool. When I see them dive it's really cool to watch, it's more interesting than swimming to watch.

Most memorable moment in swimming:There was one meet this past summer, it was a big championship meet and I was sick for it but I swam it anyway. I had eight events and for the first seven I was doing really bad but on the last one [800 freestyle] I managed to do awesome and I dropped time and it was great.

Most embarrassing moment in swimming:I was walking by the side of the pool once and I was distracted, it was early in the morning, and I fell in. It was bad.

Favorite athlete:[U.S. Olympic swimming gold medalist] Matt Grevers. I like him because there's a YouTube video called "Olympians Hanging Out" and he's in it and he's funny. Favorite sports teams:Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins

Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive:[Theoretical physicist] Albert Einstein, [Olympic swimmer] Katie Hoff and [actor] Tom Cruise.

Favorite Quote:"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" - Albert Einstein

Favorite subject in school:Math [she's currently taking Algebra 2]. I like how it works out, when I'm finished I know that I'm right.

What's on the iPod:Lots of different stuff. I just got a bunch of Broadway songs on my iPod, but at swim meets I listen to a lot of rap.

Pregame routine/ritual:I have lucky towels. I do not like switching my goggles right before a meet, I like to have them for at least a week before the meet and I eat a turkey sandwich for lunch [before every meet].

Plans after high school:I want to go to college for sure and I think it would be really cool to be an orthodontist, but nothing is for sure. I'd like to swim for a club team [in college] but I don't want to spend all my time swimming in college.