Athlete of the Week: Emily LaRovere

As the girls 50 yard freestyle event begins, multiple Exeter swimmers crowd at the end of a single lane while the other lanes are barren. Swim team captain and senior Emily Larovere propels her arms through the water, accompanied by a churning flutter kick. She is no less than an arm length in front of her competition. The screams and chants on the sidelines echo around the pool deck, but the only thing that can be distinguished among them is: “Go Em La!” As LaRovere accelerates into the touchpad, she snatches off her goggles and turns to see the result of the race. In pixelated letters, her name, 1st place and a time of 25.02 seconds lights up the scoreboard, and a roar comes from the crowd.

LaRovere was introduced to swimming at the age of three where she started on her summer team. At the age of ten, she began swimming competitively after her father took her to the one of the team’s practices. Despite having joined a competitive team, LaRovere still admitted that she swam just for fun. It was not until three years later that she describes being pushed harder and harder by her coach until the point where she qualified for the YMCA Junior Nationals. Since then, LaRovere has deeply enjoyed swimming, viewing it as a stress reliever.

“The pool is a place for me to block out the world,” LaRovere said. “If I’m ever stressed or overwhelmed, swimming helps me clear my mind.” LaRovere joined the Exeter swim team her prep year. Although initially worried as many freshmen are, LaRovere was warmly welcomed by all members of the team regardless of their age or grade. “I absolutely love being on a team, even though swimming is an individual sport,” she said.

“Emily is a great leader. She’s always clearly putting her full effort into our workouts; she’s a good role model and the girls can look up to her. She pushes everyone, myself included, to be the best athletes and teammates we can be.”

The reception given to her by the captains at the time inspired LaRovere. She strived to lead the team in the same friendly manner as her predecessors. Upper Maddie Shapiro attested to this, recalling the first meet of her high school career. “I remember my prep year on the team when I was the only prep. We were on the bus going to our first away meet of the season and I was super nervous to talk to the other girls because they were all older than me and super intimidating. She came up to me and where I was sitting and asked if she could sit with me,” Shapiro said.

Through her duties of being co-captain, along with senior Catherine Huang, Emily shares her love for swimming with the rest of the team. Huang commended LaRovere for living up to her role as captain and giving her all both in and out of the pool. Huang described her as a role model for all the girls. “Emily is a great leader. She’s always clearly putting her full effort into our workouts; she’s a good role model and the girls can look up to her. She pushes everyone, myself included, to be the best athletes and teammates we can be,” Huang said.

Emily’s personality exemplifies the perfect balance between having fun and buckling down when it matters.“She is very upbeat but can also bring the heat,” said lower Sam Gove. “She cares about how you train and strives to make us all give every practice all we have.”

LaRovere leads by example, setting a high standard for her teammates to look up to. She inspires everyone to train and compete at the highest level. “She’s always clearly putting her full effort into our workouts,” co-captain Huang praised.

LaRovere is not only a captain—she is also a friend to her teammates regardless if the situation involves swimming or not. Her selflessness makes those around her feel safe and supported. “I know that I can always go to her with anything,” Shapiro said. “Whether I need to complain about school, tell her a funny story, or just want to talk.”

When asked to describe LaRovere, lower Issy Wise smiled, saying, “She is the most supportive, admirable, and good-hearted person I’ve ever met. Anyone who is her friend is beyond lucky to have her in their life.”