Daisy Collins, a sophomore at Woods Charter, swam for the USA in its first-place finish at the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming Junior World Championships in Alghero, Italy last week.
Collins, swimming in the sea for the first time in her career, finished fourth in the girls’ 7.5-kilometer race with a personal-best time of 1 hour, 25 minutes and 50.7 seconds. She was also part of USA’s fourth-place finish in the mixed 4x1500 meter race for ages 14-16.
USA won the whole event with six total medals (four gold and two silvers).
Collins qualified for the world championships after finishing first in the girls’ 7.5-kilometer race at the USA Swimming Open Water National and Junior National Championships in May. In that competition, the racers swam in a lake at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida.
“My dream has always been to compete for the USA and represent the USA, so I was really excited that I was going to be able to do that,” Collins said.
Last week’s experience brought new feelings for Collins as she dove into a new environment.
“I was nervous about swimming in the ocean just because I’d never done it before,” Collins said. “I was also nervous about what the weather’s going to be like, what are the conditions going to be, what seeding is going to be like, and I guess that was just something I had to learn during the race, and I just had to adapt to it.”
Thankfully, Collins had the help of experienced swimmers like Claire Weinstein, who won a silver medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, to teach her open water technique and mental tips before the race.
Collins didn’t expect to finish as high as fourth in the 7.5-kilometer finals, but the hard work she put in over the summer rewarded her with a pleasant surprise.
“I was just so shocked, and I was so happy that I gave 100% to team USA because that’s what I’ll always be giving and striving to give,” Collins said. “My emotions were so high, and I was so happy for my teammate Claire for getting first.”
Earning a similar finish alongside three other swimmers in the mixed 4x1500 meter race, Collins said the relay was probably her “favorite race” that she’d ever done.
“I’d never swam in a relay before, so it was definitely something new, but I really just loved the aspect of having a team behind you,” Collins said. “It meant a lot to me.”
Collins’ recent trip to Italy is just one of her many accomplishments in her rising competitive swimming career.
As a member of the North Carolina Aquatics Club, Collins has won multiple highly-competitive races on the state and national level. In February, Collins won the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1A/2A state title in the girls’ 500-yard freestyle as a freshman.
Nine years into being a competitive swimmer, Collins wants to continue representing Team USA, and with the countdown to the 2028 Olympic Games underway, she also plans on working towards a trip to Los Angeles.
