Gold Swimmer Gets Royal Treatment

Chattahoochee Gold swimmer Sarah Brown has committed to continue her swim & academic careers at Queens University in Charlotte.

"Queens found and reached out to me after hearing about me through some connections we have here at Gold. I chose Queens after a couple weeks of talking to the coaches and swimmers there. It wasn’t long before I realized that Queens was unlike any other program and I wanted to be apart of their team. I still feel like I’m dreaming because I truly feel like their program and academics are perfect for me. One of the reasons I chose Queens is that I will really be able to make an impact right from the start, and I am very much looking forward to that. "

Across the country, fewer than 8 percent of high school swimmers get the chance to compete in college.

Sarah met that challenge through training & competing for a decade with Chattahoochee Gold, the year-round club team based in Woodstock. "My Chattahoochee Gold story is going to be one I’ll be telling for the rest of my life. At first, I started swimming because my older brother and sister swam and my parents sort of threw me into the pool along with them, but I am so thankful for that. The first real turning point for me in my swimming career was when Coach Mark Schilling told me I had let down my team in a relay at one of my last Age Group State meets. Prior to him telling me that, I don’t think I really had considered just how much of a team sport swimming is. I’m very thankful for Coach Mark calling me out on my mistake, because I think the both us would agree that I have tried my absolute best to never let my team down ever again." Coach Schilling affirms, saying "Sarah is an absolute gem of a swimmer. Not only does she train consistently at an amazingly high level but she is one of the best teammates I have coached. I know that Queens saw this right away and they wanted to make sure she was a Royal!" Sarah believes, "The leadership and attitude that I exhibit are definitely a big part of why they chose me, and I believe that my swimming abilities came in a close second to that."

A pint-sized Sarah Brown giddy to be competing for Chattahoochee Gold

"When I go off to Queens, I know it’s going to be difficult for me to leave the Woodstock Senior/National group and especially Coach Mark since he has been my coach for a good amount of time. It’s thanks to him and my teammates that I am even able to swim in college in the first place, and I will forever be grateful for them pushing and motivating me every day to be better.

Queens has a huge emphasis of bringing people into their program not just to make them better swimmers, but better leaders in the community, workplace, and the world, and I cannot wait to grow as a person and as a swimmer there. If I had to choose one thing that I’m the most excited about, it would have to be to the new swim family I will soon be gaining. I cannot wait to be surrounded by a team that is as equally passionate, determined, and loud as I am."

Chattahoochee Gold is one of USA Swimming's top 100 programs. The team is headquartered at the Woodstock Aquatic Center and also trains swimmers at the Cherokee County Aquatic Center, Mountain View Aquatic Center in Marietta and the Cumming Aquatic Center.

goldswim.com