Shareef Elaydi took home a second straight CIF State Championship win this May, a major achievement highlighting not only his dominance in the pool, but also an unwavering commitment to the sport of swimming. Shareef has cemented his place in the swimming world: his first place time this May (100 Y Breast-53.18 seconds) adds to an already impressive collection of national achievements. By consistently performing at the highest level, he has positioned himself as one of the most promising young swimmers in the nation.
As a child, Shareef watched his sister’s swimming competitions, admiring the grace and speed of each stroke. So, naturally, he enrolled in swimming lessons as soon as he could, hoping to follow in her footsteps. But now that he’s older, his desire to swim is no longer influenced by his sister alone. Rather, Shareef’s motivation is centered around his pursuit of perfection and his desire for community. Luckily, through swimming, he’s found many of his lifelong friends while winning accolades with each new competition.
Many of his goals began to take shape at just fourteen years old when Shareef shattered the national record, becoming the fastest fourteen-year-old to ever swim the long-course 200-meter medley. Yet, despite his success in the sport, he’s faced many obstacles and challenges along the way. In August, he was invited to the World Junior Championship in Romania, during which he had to skip over a week of school, and yet Shareef was met with a disappointing 11th-place rank. While many believe that the life of a top athlete is solely glamorous, the harsh reality is that sports stardom comes with its challenges, in particular socially. For Shareef, his missed school and many long hours of practice have left him with a rough work-life balance.
Despite missing time from school, Shareef emphasizes that Mitty has provided him with indispensable leadership experiences, expanding his horizons beyond just swimming. As the fastest swimmer on the team, he has had to learn leadership and become a role model for the younger, less experienced swimmers.
His long-term commitment to swimming has also given him a more go-with-the-flow attitude. Losing is no longer the end-of-the-world feeling that it used to be. Shareef learned that “it doesn’t matter where you fall in placement, if you give it your all, you’ll do great.” And because he is aware of the hard work he puts into practices and workouts, Shareef no longer feels such intense anxiety when preparing for meets. Instead, he remains confident, stating that “whatever happens happens.” He knows he’s capable of winning most of the time and has no trouble with controlling his emotions—he “just wins,” as he puts it.
As he’s climbed the ranks in swimming, he’s also discovered new cultural experiences. For example, his time at the Junior Worlds allowed him to meet a diverse group of swimmers. While some of the athletes didn’t speak English, their shared values and love for swimming allowed them to connect regardless. He traded caps with Chinese swimmers and shook the hands of his German opponents. He’s even been able to bond over his M&M shoes, which he bragged to his Italian counterparts were only $37 dollars.
Unfortunately, cultural struggles emerge as well. Shareef doesn’t always feel as though he fits in, noting that swimmers of his ethnicity (half-Asian and half-Moroccan) are historically rare. Similarly, he notes that his height does not meet the stereotype of swimmers being particularly tall.
Still, Shareef has dispelled any doubt regarding his personal attributes with his utter dominance in the water. As the 16-year-old superstar enters another season, he’s ready to take on whatever challenge comes his way, one record and M&M shoe at a time.