Swimming and Diving | Sophomore | Current Favorite Pump-Up Song: Tie between “Gecko (Overdrive)” by Oliver Heldens and Becky Hill and “I Want to Know You” by Zedd (featuring Selena Gomez) Michayla Eisenberg (Eta omicron-virginia tech)
Arlington, Virgina-born and -raised Michayla Eisenberg (Eta Omicron-Virginia Tech) has shown an interest in sports since she was three years old. From soccer to dance to gymnastics, she did it all. By age four, she found swimming and diving — the sport that finally stuck. “Now that I’m 19, I’ve been swimming and diving for over half my life,” Michayla shares. With early practices before the sunrise and year- round meets, the swimming and diving community is tight knit: something Michayla has always loved. Through the sport, she’s met some of her best friends. Now a member of the swim and dive team at Virgina Tech, that circle of friends has only continued to grow. Complementing that circle are her Alpha Phi sisters. “I knew I wanted an outlet away from being a student-athlete,” she says. “Ever since joining Eta Omicron Chapter, I’ve found exactly that.” The balancing act is no easy feat for a student- athlete. Between managing her studies in human development and psychology and keeping up with her Alpha Phi and swimming and diving commitments, Michayla initially struggled to find a system that worked for her. Through trial and error, she’s learned that planning ahead and completing her work at the beginning of the week allows for much-needed downtime later on. “When I get overwhelmed, I remind myself why I’m doing it and lean on my support system — my teammates and Alpha Phi sisters — on the harder days.” During the season, Michayla and her teammates have two-hour practices twice a day, every day except Sunday. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, they tack on an extra hour of weight training
following their morning practice. In the offseason, they scale back to one afternoon practice along with weight training. This intensive schedule prepares them for the 13 meets they compete in throughout the academic year. Sundays are Michayla’s sacred time to let her body and mind rest and recover. When it comes to meets, she also has a couple of pregame traditions that help her zone in and find her calm. “I’m normally super nervous before competitions, but I like to watch TikTok or talk to my friends to help take my mind off it,” she says. “I also have a lucky hair tie I wear at every meet.” While only a sophomore, Michayla is certain her swimming and diving career will end after college graduation. Although she won’t be in the pool anymore, she plans to stay involved in sports. She hopes to pursue a career in sports medicine, specifically sports psychology or physical therapy. After sustaining several injuries over the years, Michayla has worked with sports therapists who helped her manage setbacks, stay patient and return to the pool stronger — an experience that inspired her to want to do the same for other athletes. Speaking of other athletes, this Alpha Phi finds inspiration in Simone Biles, a U.S. Olympic gymnast and the most decorated gymnast in history. Her candid approach to mental health in sports has resonated with athletes around the world, including Michayla. “Simone has talked about mental blocks and struggles, which I also have,” she says. “She’s helped me be okay with those challenges while still pushing through them and finding success.
What’s your proudest moment and achievement in your sport? My proudest moment was returning to the water just three days after breaking my elbow and competing in one of my biggest meets, where I qualified for nationals in 2022. My proudest achievement was competing at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships last year and earning a spot on the ACC Academic Honor Roll.
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