Freshman Gillian Brassil moved across the continent, from Boston out to California, to join the Walnut Creek Aquanuts synchronized swim team.

Just before school started, Brassil moved from the East coast to Lamorinda to train and compete with the local Walnut Creek team because “this is one of the best ones in the country,” according to Brassil.

Originally a gymnast, Brassil started doing synchronized swimming five years ago when she injured her knee. “They told me I couldn’t do anything on land, “ she said, “so this was something in the water that I liked. It’s almost like gymnastics; you have to be super flexible.”

From there, she was hooked. “I like the people I’ve met and I like just being in the water,” Brassil said.  You certainly have to be passionate about the sport; Brassil’s practices are seven days a week, ranging from one to five hours at a time.

Brassil recently returned from a massive competition in North Carolina against more than fifty teams from across the country. “We did well,” Brassil said, “It’s kind of an individual competition but we all made top forty.”