By Kate Hamilton, Staff Writer

The alarm clock reads 5:15 a.m. You roll out of bed, pick up your swim bag, grab a light snack and get into your car. It’s dark outside, there is no traffic and the world seems to be asleep. You arrive at the YMCA to see all the tired faces in the locker room as they put on their cap and swimsuit. You get to the pool and then the whistle goes off. The swimmers meet the cold water and their once tired faces are now exhilarated. 

For senior Ashby King, this is not a new routine. King has been swimming for 11 years and has been on First Flight’s Varsity Swim team since she moved here after her freshman year. Now, she will continue her swim career at the collegiate level. King signed to swim at William Peace University next fall. 

King grew up in Kinston, North Carolina but visited the Outer Banks during the Summer. It was always a dream of Kings to live close to the water, and this dream became her reality when King’s family moved to the Outer Banks.

“I didn’t always live down here. I came down here for the summer and I loved the ocean and the water, I just didn’t live near the coast,” King said. 

Swimming has become beneficial to King’s life. Not only has it helped her physical and mental health, but it has also given her an hour to detox and not think about school. Joining different swim teams has given her memories that she will never forget and the opportunity to meet new people. 

“Last year, Ellie Gardill needed to drop four seconds in her backstroke. The whole team just got around her lane and was cheering so loud,” King said. “She made her time by way more than she needed to and the team was just so happy. It felt like we all came together.” 

While swimming has been a big part of King’s life, she didn’t think that it would continue to be such a big part after she graduated high school.

“If you would’ve asked me a year ago, I would’ve said I’m not swimming in college,” King said. “But, William Peace University reached out to me in February. I talked to the swim coach and went up there to visit and fell in love with the school.” 

After visiting the school and seeing what they had to offer, she decided she would want to attend William Peace and started to work on her application. 

While being ranked second in her class and being a diligent student-athlete, King had a lot of prospective college options that she could’ve applied to, but she only applied to William Peace. 

While this might seem crazy to some, King knew that William Peace was where she wanted to spend the next four years. When she got the acceptance email, it was a big relief to know she was accepted into her number one choice. 

“I got an email on my phone that said William Peace has updated your admissions status. I was driving, so I pulled into the 7-11 and opened the email. I got in and I just sat there, and tears of happiness just came down my face,” King said. 

While attending William Peace, King plans to major in biology with a minor in management and leadership studies. And although going to a new place away from home can be nerve-racking, King is excited to see what is in store for her. She has already started to get to know the people on her new swim team, along with some people from her old school that will also be attending the University.

Even after all the excitement of getting accepted and thinking about the new journey that awaits her, King has thought about how it will be hard to leave her friends, her home, her family and most importantly her sister, Brylie King. 

“Brylie and I are really close so it’s going to be hard,” King said. “I can’t just be like, ‘Hey, let’s go get Crumbl (Cookies) or get coffee.’” 

Now, as her senior year is coming to a close, King is looking forward to swimming at William Peace. She is excited for the opportunity to continue pursuing her passion in the years to follow and gives thanks to everyone who has helped her get to where she is. 

“I’ve had some amazing coaches and my family for sure supports me. My family has always made sure that I was at practice and had all the equipment I needed,” King said. “ And my coaches have just helped me reach my goals and made me the swimmer I am.”

Sophomore Kate Hamilton can be reached at 22hamiltonka86@daretolearn.org.