Ewa Osiniak is the Drexel swimmer setting records, wherever she goes
The redshirt transfer at Drexel currently holds program records for both 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, and both the 100- and 200-yard individual medley.
When Ewa Osiniak chose to transfer to Drexel as a graduate student, she never expected that her swimming could improve in the way it has.
In large part, that was due to the broken records she had left in her wake at Division II Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. At Lynn last year, Osiniak helped set program marks in the 200-yard free relay and the 400-yard medley relay.
At the NCAA D-II Championships, Osiniak was a part of the 800-yard free relay team that posted the best finish in the event in program history.
Since arriving at Drexel, she has broken the program records for both the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, and the 100- and 200-yard individual medleys.
Osiniak started swimming classes at just 3 months old in her hometown of Lublin, Poland. Ever since then, she says, it’s been an obsession.
It was her teammates at her first swimming club in Poland who inspired her to chase her dreams of pursuing a college career in the United States.
“Ever since then, I was always trying to make it happen,” Osiniak said. “My teammates studied in Florida at the time, so I wanted to do the same.”
Osiniak made this dream come true, getting a swimming scholarship and completing her undergraduate degree in just three years at Lynn University. She chose to transfer to Drexel to pursue a master’s degree in economics. Technically a redshirt senior, she has two years of athletic eligibility remaining.
“When talking to the coaches [at Drexel], they really paid attention to the individual, not just the team,” she said. “They didn’t want me to change, they just wanted me to be the best version of myself.”
She attributes her success at Drexel to practices that are vastly different than anything she had experienced.
“Our practices are much more detailed and power-oriented. I’ve never trained like that, but the system works really well,” Osiniak said. “Nathan Lavery, our coach, wants us to be aware of our actions. If we are doing something, it has a purpose. It’s not about performance, it’s about effort and how hard we try to get results, and what we do to get them.”
She believes that this new style of practice and coaching, paired with the strong bond she has with her teammates, has led to her success so far at Drexel.
“I’m really happy, and it’s all thanks to the program and the coaches,” she said. “I feel more confident about my swimming, and the results are the outcome of this whole experience at Drexel.”
Osiniak admits she is surprised at how well she is doing.
“I didn’t expect as a graduate student to make progress and get personal-best times, but it’s great to still be growing as an athlete,” said Osiniak.
At the West Virginia Invitational in November, Osiniak swam a personal best in the 100-yard breaststroke, a time of 1 minute, 2.76 seconds, also setting the program record.
“I didn’t have any expectations [that day], I just wanted to do my best and focus,” she recalled. “When I touched the wall, I saw my time was my personal record by over a second, and I couldn’t believe it. I haven’t had a PR at this event since freshman year. Since that moment, I knew I was still capable of improving and developing.”
As for her future plans, Osiniak says she is just focusing on the season ahead of her.
“I want to take everything step by step,” she said “I have another season of eligibility next year, so I just want to focus on my current performance.”
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