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Oct. 4, 2007
By Erin Tulley Growing up the youngest of three girls, Leah Pierce recalled trying to find her fit among the family. Her two older sisters were gymnasts in high school, but Leah never seemed to excel in the sport. Finally, with the help of a backyard pool and her mother's advice, Leah found her knack. "I never took swim lessons or anything," said Pierce. "My mom taught me how to put my head in the water and I just took off from there." Pierce joined the Columbia (Mo.) Swim Club as a 10-year-old, and while developing her strokes, she discovered a natural talent for the breaststroke. The sophomore received many individual accolades within the sport, but was searching for a greater team atmosphere. When it came time to decide on a college, Pierce was immediately drawn to the Boilermakers' coaching staff. "I felt so comfortable around the team and the coaches; it felt like I was joining a family and a business at the same time," said Pierce. "They cared about me as a swimmer but also as a person and they wanted me to do well in the sport and in school." After Pierce joined the team, she quickly focused on building her skills as a freshman. She learned a lot from fellow breaststroke swimmers, including Jennifer Lavers and Shannon Grace; and the new, more specialized workouts paid off in full at the Big Ten Championships. In Pierce's first championship experience, she scored a 10th-place finish in the 100 breast with a time of 1:03.45 - the fourth fastest time in Purdue history.
"Big Ten's was scary, fun, and exciting all at the same time. It was so great and I can't wait to go back," said Pierce.
Pierce's goal for this year is to have no regrets. "Everyone wants to do well and improve on their times, but for me, the most important thing is to be at Big Ten's at the end of the season and know that I gave it my all and did everything I possibly could to prepare myself so that whatever happens was meant to be." Pierce wants to take better care of herself this season by getting plenty of sleep, water and stretching time before competitions. She believes that self-discipline is the most important part of the sport, because the better her individual contribution can be, the more helpful she can be to her team. Pierce's motivation comes from the strong support of her family, which often comes to Purdue to watch her compete. She may be far away from her home in Missouri, but thanks to her swimming motto of, 'If you pursue it, your team will help you get through it', she also has found a family at Purdue. "I would look around at the team in practice during a really hard set and the girls would be smiling and laughing, cheering everybody on; that's what swimming is all about," said Pierce. "Purdue really brought back my love for the sport and swimming is fun again." Pierce and the Boilermakers begin their 2007-08 season Saturday, Oct. 13 at noon, playing host to the Indiana Intercollegiates. Admission is free.
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