No matter what level she was competing at, Washington State freshman Avery Bulkley loved the challenge that swimming brought her. Even in her first year competing at the collegiate level, Bulkley has welcomed the challenge.
Growing up in Payson, Utah, being a collegiate swimmer was always the goal for Bulkley. Her junior year, coaches started reaching out to her, but from the start Wazzu always stood out to her.
Bulkley said Pullman reminded her of the small towns back in her home state. As well as connecting with the staff and girls on the team, it was obvious to Bulkley that she would be in Pullman by the start of her freshman year.
When she arrived to the Palouse, Bulkley immediately felt the responsibility of being a collegiate athlete but still found a way for swimming to be her outlet.
"It's super exciting balancing school and swim in a different way, in high school it was less swim more school but now I am doing college classes and having to swim a lot more, but swim has always been my outlet, so I still get to turn to that." Bulkley said. "It's at a higher level but it still is always there for me, it's been hard sometimes but it's worth it in the end."
In her second event of the season, Bulkley earned her first career win in the mile at the Fresno State Invite and earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week. Going into the third event of the season, the Cougars traveled to Fresno, California for the MPSF Open Water Championships. However, Bulkley had never competed in an open water event before. With practice ramping up for the event and her first midterms as a college student, Bulkley faced her first true challenge as a collegiate swimmer.
"It was something I took on headfirst because I was terrified of the water, I am terrified of things in the water with me but it was exciting to race in that kind of area instead of just the pool laps so it was a fun new challenge," Bulkley said.
Bulkley and the team practiced in the Smith gym's old pool. The team practiced how to turn, how to draft off each other and how to swim next to someone. On race day Bulkley remembered watching her teammates race in the 5k and recalled being terrified. Despite the nerves, Bulkley finished second in the 2000-meter relay and showed that she loves swimming more than she fears the ocean.
"The past few weeks have been obviously intense with the practices and midterms, but it just kind of changed my attitude a little bit and mindset to be like, 'wait I love this so much,' that I was willing to go swim in the ocean to do it," Bulkley said.
