When she was 8 years old, Ella Jean Kelly’s ‘25 parents signed her up for a summer swimming league at the Western Springs Pool. While she was hesitant to join at first, she instantly fell in love with the sport. After summer league, she began swimming competitively at Lyons Aquatics before moving to For My Community (FMC) in 2020. 

“During COVID, it was really hard because the LT pool was closed, and we had to find a practice pool,” Kelly said. “I was traveling between Five Seasons, Hinsdale’s outdoor pool, and the [Village Field Club]. I know a lot of swimmers saw their progression go down in 2020 because of the shutdowns, but I managed to improve by staying dedicated.”

While she was not on the state or sectional team as a freshman, Kelly continued working hard, joining the state group for her sophomore and junior season. Last year, she placed ninth in state for the 100-meter breaststroke, seventh for the 50-meter freestyle, and runner-up for the 200-meter freestyle relay. Additionally, Kelly got the new school record for the 50-meter freestyle and came 0.01 seconds shy of breaking the record for the 100-meter breaststroke.

“Ella has always had an intense work ethic,” head varsity girls swim coach Scott Walker said. “She’s committed, she sets goals, and she does everything to achieve those goals even though it’s not a straight line to achieving them. There’s ups and downs and she finds a way, if it’s a down day, down week, down month, she finds a way of still working toward the goals.”

Kelly’s incredible commitment to the team has ultimately made her a great role model and captain, Walker said. 

“Swimming definitely taught me to trust the process,” Kelly said. “There will be days when you really don’t want to get in the pool when you really don’t want to wake up for that 5:30 a.m. practice. But you have to tell yourself to just keep going because you’re working towards a goal, the championship meet.”

Kelly had always known she wanted to continue swimming in college, so the question just became: where?

“I was a little late in the recruiting process when I reached out to Iowa,” she said. “I did an unofficial visit and met all three coaches. I felt a good connection with all of them. Afterward, I met the team and they were all so nice. I just felt at home in Iowa. My parents were there and they were like ‘I could see you going here and doing really well here.’”

Overall, Kelly’s growth has stemmed from her commitment to both the team and herself.

“It definitely helps having your best friends as teammates,” Kelly said. “All day, I look forward to going to the pool for the second practice after school. The sport and my team are a constant in my life that I can depend on.”