Alyssa Ball: Swimming in Her Lane

Sometimes you meet people and think, “What a wasted talent!” Not everyone finds their path in life, that sense of being exactly where they’re meant to be. Some, however, discover their passion early on—so early, in fact, that it shapes who they are and who they’re becoming.

Alyssa Ball, 14, may very well be one of those people. Since the age of eight, she’s known that her path was crystal clear, lined with water, and heading straight toward the Olympic Games. Dream or destiny, she trains over 15 hours a week, relentlessly shaving fractions of seconds off her times, climbing one stroke at a time toward her ultimate goal.

Following in Katherine Savard’s Wake

Alyssa wasn’t exactly a natural in the water. She first dipped her toes into swimming at age six, but the spark wasn’t immediate:

“At first, I think I was a little scared of the water,” she admits. “It took time, but I started to enjoy it. It became fun. Then I always wanted to be in the water!”

She dabbled in soccer—without much excitement—and tried dancing, which she didn’t particularly enjoy either. But when she pulled on a swimsuit and dove in, she felt alive. At eight, she decided she would go to the Olympics. Her inspiration? Katherine Savard, bronze medalist at the 2012 London Games:

“I saw her and thought, wow—I want to be like her.”

Meeting Savard in person only strengthened her resolve. The elite swimmer’s advice? Nothing comes easy. Work hard and always push further. Words Alyssa has taken to heart.

Push Through!

Those words echo through every practice, every push, and every lap Alyssa completes. Whether it’s early morning before school or late afternoons after classes at McDonald High School in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, she trains with focus and discipline, including dryland training with kinesiologist Michael Gagné at Centre Multisports.

“You need talent, but you also have to work hard,” she explains. “You have to eat right, stay focused in practice, and not fool around in the water. You have to love the sport and listen to your coach to get better.”

Asked where she finds the energy to balance school and a 15-hour training schedule, she shrugs:

“I just tell myself that the hard things will pass. I’ll be faster in the water. I’ll be a better swimmer. When you push through the pain, that’s when you get stronger.”

Still just 14, Alyssa speaks with the focus and intensity of a seasoned athlete. Her story is one of quiet determination and growing ambition—traits the world would do well to nurture. She even has advice for younger swimmers who may look up to her the same way she looked up to Katherine Savard:

“When things get hard, push harder. You’ll be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

Until the day her Olympic dream becomes a reality, Alyssa Ball will keep swimming forward—with purpose, with pride, and with no intention of slowing down.