Valkyries is one of the most unique things Guilford has to offer. Synchronized swimming is a rare sight in high school. Any highschooler in the RPS205 district can try out to be a part of the team, whether they are a freshman or a senior.
The shows are put on at Guilford, usually at the end of February or the beginning of March. But practices start as early as the first few weeks of November, and they are long. On Tuesdays, practice goes from 6pm-9pm, and on Sundays they start at 6 a.m. and go as late as 12 p.m. Since Valkyries is more of a “club” than a sport, they arrange practices to be compatible with other sports, so that the swimmers can still participate in other sports, too. But, like most sports, being a part of the Valks team takes lots of practice, effort, strength, and commitment.
“I think the hardest part of Valks is building up the stamina throughout the season,” said Piper Elmer, a returning sophomore.
While there are lots of internal battles that Valkyries find themselves fighting, there are lots of physical tests that come with synchronized swimming. For example, during the routines, holding your breath is a very essential skill, along with treading water for long amounts of time, and engaging your core for different moves.
Also, getting and staying in the cold pool at 6am is not easy, but the team is very committed and shows up despite the inconvenience.
“The cold water at six in the morning is hard,” said Audrey Seminerio, another returning sophomore.
But all of the hard parts about being a Valkyrie are worth it for the team. Performing and decorating for the shows in the spring is always exciting.
“The shows are the best part of the season because we get to show off all the routines we worked on and all the effort we put into the mural,” said Elmer.
Every year the show has a theme, and this year it is “60 Years of Valks.” Each routine, excluding the opening, will contain songs from previous years’ routines. Just a few of the themes being implemented this year are Girl Power, A Moment in Time, American Graffiti, and Put on the Hits.
Before the shows, the team gets together to decorate the pool room and transform it into a wonderland of decor. The most exciting part is always the mural on the back wall. Everyone puts in a lot of effort to reshape the atmosphere of the room and add to the excitement of the experience.
Everyone always looks forward to the shows, and all the hard work pays off when the sound of the applause fills the room after each routine.
“I love Valks because the shows are so fun, and it’s really exciting to perform our routines,” said Seminerio.
