Swim season is in full swing and it is championship season now for these athletes. Richard Montgomery swimmers have been working harder than ever to be prepared to compete in their swim meets. RM’s women’s swim team has just recently won the divisional championship and is now preparing for regionals.

The Richard Montgomery women’s swim team had one of their best seasons to date, with the team sporting a 5-0 undefeated record at their meets against other schools in their division, as well as other MCPS schools.

Most days of the week the Richard Montgomery swim team has practices headed by Akshay Gandhi, a well-known chemistry teacher here at RM. With Gandhi’s support, RM’s swimmers are able to grow as athletes. 

Swimming can be one of the most physically challenging sports, pushing the body to its extent. But for swimmers like Livia Venditti, it’s no problem. Venditti has competed in national competitions such as the National Club Swimming Association  (NCSA) championship meet in Indianapolis, Indiana. There she represented the Rockville Montgomery Swim Club (RMSC) which is one of the most respected swim clubs in the country and has produced some of the top swimmers in the nation. “With swimming, there are different levels of competition at different swim meets, held in different states across the country, which you can swim at if you attain certain time cuts,” Venditti said. “As you get faster, you can attend more of the high-profile swim meets.” 

Venditti has had a love for swimming for years and loves the competitiveness of the sport. “What I love about swimming is that every person on the team has something that they specialize in, so even though swimming is an individual sport time-wise, it’s not competitive in the sense that you’re trying to beat your teammates,” Venditti said. Her role on the team is evident by the exemplary achievements she has acquired being on the team such as team MVP and gaining a spot on the All-county.

The season will come to a close on Feb. 25 with the state championship at the University of Maryland. The girls team finished third in the state last year and has their eyes set on another record-breaking finish.