Captain Greta Peterson leads swim team
The humidity and the warmth of the room filled with a chlorine smell and the swimmers splashing their arms in a circular motion in the water, swimming back and forth doing numerous strokes of 100 yards. Now think of a cold wind blowing and the touch of icy cold snow, while the crowd goes wild. As the skier skis through the high hills above and jumping off them like flying through the air.
Junior Greta Peterson a homeschooled student, takes part in Stillwater activities because she’s in the area. She takes part in Nordic Ski and girls swimming, as of this year she is captain of both sports. She has many friends that attend SAHS and is still considered as family in the school.
“Greta is a really funny and friendly person, and everyone on the team,” junior Olive Weston said. Senior Ellie Hill added, “Greta is a kind of person who is willing to be friends with everyone.”
Peterson’s Home Schooled Life
Peterson has been home-schooled since first grade and enjoys having her mother as a teacher helps her better because she’s able to go at her own pace and being in pajamas is also nice.
“There are big assignments and papers as in any school. It’s a lot less demanding and stressful. Also having your mom as a teacher and getting to go at your pace is really helpful,” Peterson said.
This is year Peterson is doing PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Option) which is where she goes to college and take college courses, but still gain high school credits. It’s a new environment for Peterson, which is stressful and demanding, but she enjoys it.
“This year I’ve been attending classes as a PSEO student at Century College. I’m taking all my classes at Century College in White Bear Lake. So I’m there everyday like any other student,” Peterson said.
Swimming to the Top
Peterson started swimming at Stillwater swimming club. With the start of that she gradually became fond of swimming and coach Jane Luke would explain about the school swim team.
“Seeing Mrs. Luke ran the club she would go around and encourage anyone who wasn’t on the high school team to join it. So when I was able to join, I started the team right away,” Peterson said.
When 7th grade came around, she started the school swim team. This year, Peterson is going to be captain of the swim team and she never believed she would become captain, but she was voted and is excited about this new swim team.
“I always longed to be captain ever since 7th grade, but didn’t actually believe I would be one. I just thought the super fast and popular athletes were voted on, but when my teammates told me they were gonna vote for me. I was shocked,” Peterson said.
The Life Out of the Water and into the Snow
During her ninth grade year, she started nordic ski at SAHS and has never skied in her life before joining, so it was a new experience for her. Once she started she could not stop her love for her skis also.
“I started skiing because a lot of my swim friends decided to start it and also encouraged me to. I just thought ‘why not?’ And then joined the ski team. Even though I had never skied in my life before joining,” Peterson said.
As she progressed through skiing and laughed with her friends throughout season after season. She was nominated as captain and soon got the role. She was shocked because she got captain of the swim team and captain of Nordic.
“I always thought seniors that had been on the team longer, knew everyone better, and the faster athletes were gonna get picked for ski captains,” Peterson said.
Captain of Two
Being captain is an honorary role and Peterson is excited to perform that role when the season comes. She understands there are many things she needs to do for both sports and knows what kind of activities to do from watching previous captains.
“Greta is super hard working on both the swim team and nordic, and always has a positive attitude that cheers up the group during practices,” Weston said. “She is so welcoming and friendly, so she will create a positive atmosphere for the swim team next year and make sure everyone feels included,” Hill said.
As a swim captain there are traditions they have and picnics she is responsible for setting up. She’s also responsible for pep talks to get everyone excited for the meet.
“For swimming, the captains do a lot of things such as: plan dress-up days, the swim picnics, and pairing up swimmers as ‘big sister & little sister’ (a tradition to get to know one another better and encourage another swimmer with little gifts or a letter at each meet). Captains also give talks sometimes after practices about upcoming meets events and other stuff to hype everyone up before each meet,” Peterson said.
As for Nordic, the responsibilities are similar to swim teams, but with their own traditions and own activities. Besides working with the team captains also help the coaches with sorting and designing team apparels and help make money for clothing.
“I’ve noticed the captains do a lot of other work in organizing and designing team apparels, helping the coaches collect any papers or money for clothing and other stuff, and probably a million other things, but every little thing helps out the team tremendously,” Peterson said.
Peterson is ready to be captain this season and is excited to see what kind of adventures bring her. She is also very thankful to know her teammates support her as a captain on both teams.
“I feel really happy and honored that my teammates decided to make me captain,” Peterson said.
Karisma is 16 years old and is a first year in newspaper. She loves to sing and act and has been in 5 plays. She has 2 sisters, one named Cerena and another...
