Ellie Butler (Swimming & Diving, Vanderbilt University) grew up in Orinda. HelloNation asks student athletes one question about the place that raised them and records the answer on camera. This is Ellie Butler’s, in full.
The question
Tell us about a teacher or mentor from high school who challenged you the most or inspired you in a way that still shapes who you are today. Who are they, and what lesson from them do you carry into your life now?
The answer, as recorded
Transcript. What follows is a transcript of the video above, in Ellie Butler’s own words. It has not been rewritten, and no part of it was drafted for them.
I think one of the most impactful mentors from high school was my high school club swimming coach, Jonah Tina. He really taught me the importance of accountability, not just for yourself, but also how to give constructive accountability to your teammates and those around you in a group setting, which I have not only brought into my college swimming team, but also into my academics and other organizations that I am a part of. He really emphasized this idea of giving 100% of whatever percentage that you have for that day. So if you feel like you're only 70% of your best performing self on a specific day, you make sure that you give 100% of that 70%. And that's something that I've really talked to my teammates and my coaches about and really tried to implement into our team.
Recorded by HelloNation as part of its athlete voices program and published by Hello Newswire, HelloNation’s good news newswire. The words are the speaker’s own.
Reported by Hello Newswire.