The Why II

[...] I titled this first post "The Why I" because I felt it was important to share my background.

It all began with a deep belief that athletes who are about to take one of the biggest risks of their lives deserve a familiar, honest, and transparent approach. Guidance matters. Support matters. As the saying goes: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

When I worked in a sports agency in the U.S. during my OPT year - the one year of work experience granted after graduating - I realized two things very quickly: I loved what I was doing, and there was a real need for it. There are so many athletes chasing the same dream I once chased, and I knew I could help them navigate that path. Not just athletically, but through the language barriers, the logistics, the uncertainty, the things that often feel overwhelming and isolating. Helping with that fulfilled me in a way I didn’t expect.

I’ve always been someone who likes to go one step further. Some might call it being an overachiever… and honestly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

I mean, who signs up for an Ironman without ever having done a triathlon before? I didn’t even know how to clip in and out of bike pedals without falling. Who climbs nearly 6,000 meters altitude with zero experience? I bought brand-new trekking shoes and most of my gear a week before flying to South Africa. Oh… and my suitcase with all my equipment got lost, so I had to come up with a new plan on the spot.

Still, crossing that Ironman finish line 12 hours later, after a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and a full marathon and standing next to my best friend at 5,800m altitude freezing to death and with the biggest altitude sickness, I felt unstoppable. Taking risks, pushing beyond my comfort zone, going a little further than what normally feels safe, that doesn’t scare me. It fuels me.

So I asked myself: why create just a swimming agency? Why stop at recruiting and placement when I have the experience, the expertise, and the deep love for this sport to do so much more? This is a community that deserves above and beyond. A sport that has opened countless doors for me, introduced me to incredible people and different cultures, and allowed me to fail, fall, and overcome it all.

That’s when the other branches of Wave Wise came to life: the Swim Lab, a pathway for younger swimmers to prepare them for the next big step, and the foundation, focused on drowning prevention. The foundation has become my happy pill, the thing that gives purpose to everything I do.

After a near-death experience with a swimmer during a training session almost three years ago, my interest in saving lives and advocating for water safety only grew stronger. Since then, I’ve become deeply committed to drowning prevention and education.

I’ll go into much more detail about what Wave Wise truly is in future posts. For now, everything lives on the website, something my team and I are working tirelessly to build, improve, and grow every single day.

This is the why.

And this is just the beginning.