To any passing onlooker, Alex Townsend may seem like any ordinary Enloe student. He stresses over APES, eats Bojangles, and even plays pickleball in his spare time with friends. However, many do not realize the true extent of his determination to balance swim and school, with his days beginning early at 4:30 a.m. to go to swim practice and back home after school to finish homework. After countless hours of this intense practice regimen, his efforts have all paid off as he is excited to announce his commitment to Princeton University in the fall of 2025 for swimming and undergraduate studies.
Alex’s journey in swimming began at eight years old, but it wasn’t an immediate passion. For Alex, swimming with his team, the Raleigh Marlins, had a rough start — “At first, I didn’t really like it, I thought the pool was cold, the suits were uncomfortable,” he explains, “we practiced back then at St. Mary’s which is an all-girls school, so the boys bathroom was really… not nice.”
However, despite trying other sports, Alex found himself drawn to competitive swimming the most. “I just found swimming to be more fun overall,” he explains. He credits his teammates, coaches, and even his non-swimming parents to be the most influential figures of his athletic journey. “[Although] neither of my parents swam, they’ve been role models in handling myself in sports. But my teammates, who I train and race with daily, and my coaches over the years have really motivated me.”
Motivation proved to be crucial through Alex’s grueling practice schedule balanced with Enloe’s notoriously heavy workload. Balancing his difficult schedule on days of practice, coupled with hard AP classes, is no easy feat. “I wake up at 4am three times a week for morning practice. So that’s why you see me going to bed at 7:45 [PM] on an average Sunday,” Alex states, “it does get hard… I’ve just learned how to be more efficient with my time.”
Alex considers himself to be a perfectionist. However, over the years his commitment to swimming and other hobbies has shaped him to be more open to imperfection. “[Being perfect] is not always worth the time… Like, if I do an assignment and it’s a 90 I’m like, can I redo that to get the 95 or something like that? I’ve had to learn that isn’t always possible.” He’s discovered there’s room for other activities in his life, such as playing pickleball and gaming with his friends.
While shifting his schedule to work around swimming hasn’t been easy, Alex’s time in the water has been an unforgettable experience, both with his school and club teams. The Marlins of Raleigh (MOR) is an independent swim team, but to Alex, it’s where he’s found unconditional support. One tradition that Alex highlights with his team is the yearly Bojangles Biathlon, where participants eat copious amounts of Bojangles biscuits followed by very intense cardio. Alex admits that it’s “a little bit nasty,” but he looks forward to it every year.
At Enloe, swimming offers a different kind of experience. “It’s really all team focused. I’ve grown to really like it. I love doing relays and kind of getting to swim with a different group of people than I normally do,“ Alex remarks. The diversity between the two teams has only enriched his love for the sport.
Looking ahead to Princeton, Alex plans to study aerospace engineering in hopes to fulfill his childhood dreams. He is also open to exploring other disciplines as well, as Princeton opens a world full of possibilities. After his studies, he intends to keep swimming and exercise as integral parts of his life, even if it isn’t for competition.
To aspiring athletes, Alex offers heartfelt advice: “Stay positive and always believe in not only yourself, but also those around you. The more you support your teammates, the more they want to support you, and everything just gets better.”
From the Enloe Eagle’s Eye, Alex, we wish him the very best in his future endeavors and know he will continue to make waves both in and out of the water!
