Welcome to the Cal women's swimming & diving blog for the 2014-15 season. I'm Eva Greene, and this year Maija Roses and I will be recapping the year and telling stories of what it's like to be a Golden Bear. This is my senior season, so I am ready and excited to make memories and enjoy each and every moment!

It's already November, which means life in Berkeley is in full swing. The first round of midterms has ended, dual meets have started, and training continues to push us every day. We've met and fallen into Golden love with our five freshmen, bonded at our team retreat, trained alongside whales and seals in the ocean, traveled to Florida to race some Gators, and battled Oregon State and Texas in home duals. We've been working hard and have managed to have a whole lot of fun along the way.

With each new year comes a new team, ready for the fresh experiences that are to come. Although our seasons have similarities from year to year, they are all far from the same. One of my favorite parts of the fall is getting to know the freshmen and seeing their personalities begin to shine. Their added dynamic is what makes this year's team so unique. We've all returned with renewed passion, and our new relationships are the fuel that will carry us through this year. The women I get to call my teammates are truly inspiring, and the feeling that together we can do anything is what drives me to be my absolute best every day.

Right now our training consists of swimming, dancing, strength training and Pilates. Workouts keep us moving in many different ways, which is making me feel even stronger and more athletic. Our schedule definitely keeps us working hard! One of the big challe
nges of the fall is competing when fatigue always seems to sneak its way into our lives. Over the past two weeks we have competed against Oregon State and Texas, which presented us with some exciting racing opportunities. A huge mental challenge at these meets was competing when we might not have felt our absolute best. Before both competitions, coach Teri reminded us that being successful at this time of the year is going to look much different than it will at other points in the season. Given this, that passion and inspiration of the team environment became incredibly important. We raced with spirit and enjoyed the special indescribable feeling that comes with wearing a Cal cap.

Coming up this week, we swim Wisconsin in a coed dual meet Friday and then have a quick trip to Utah the following week. With the semester more than half way over, it's time to buckle down and keep up the motivation. There's never a dull moment in Berkeley! GO BEARS!

Eva

Eva Greene is a senior from Falls Church, Va., while Maija Roses is a freshman from Durham, N.C. Eva and Maija will alternate producing blog entries each week during the season, with Eva writing her piece and Maija creating a video.