How Nola Built Me – By Emily Ramier
Jan 25, 2019 | Women's Swimming and Diving, WE ARE
When I was younger you couldn't pay me to get into a pool. Simply put, I was absolutely terrified of the water. I wouldn't even put my head under the water.
Like most young people, I took swimming lessons to move past my fear of the water and to learn how to swim. I moved through lessons fairly quickly, and before long I moved past my fear of the water. Eventually my mom told me she wasn't going to continue paying for swimming lessons if I wasn't going to commit to it.
So I took a year off.
But a year away from the pool was all I needed to understand how much I truly missed being in the water. I remember telling my mom how much I missed swimming lessons and that I really wanted to commit to being a competitive swimmer.
Since that time, you couldn't pay me to get out of the pool.
For 14 years, swimming has been a major part of my life, and it's led me down a road that I couldn't possibly have imagined when I just 4 years old.
Through competitive swimming, I have learned endless lessons while making countless friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
Swimming also led me to Tulane University and the city of New Orleans.
As a senior student-athlete, these are the things you begin to think about when you realize that your competitive swimming career is coming to a close. You start to reflect.
Saturday will mark our team's final home meet of the year, and I can promise you that I will cry my eyes out on senior day.
Sure, laugh if you want. But what I can I say? Stuff like this just makes me emotional. Can you really blame me?
After all, the last four years have been some of the best years of my life. I just have so much to be thankful for when it comes to my time at Tulane and living in this city. My teammates here at Tulane are some of my best friends, and they truly are my second family.
Who would have ever thought I'd get so close to a group of girls in just four years?
Four years ago, I came to Tulane without knowing a single soul and I remember at the time that I was completely cool with it.
Yeah right. I was absolutely a nervous wreck.
I still remember that when my parents dropped me off at school, I could not stop crying. I don't know if that was because I was so close with my parents or if I was just so nervous for the big changes in front of me.
Needless to say, coming to Tulane and New Orleans was a big change, especially considering I was coming from Ontario, Canada.
After about a week on campus, I truly felt like New Orleans and Tulane had become my new home away from home because of the way my teammates welcomed me with open arms. But I also feel like my new surroundings played a large role in making me feel so comfortable in my new city.
A city like New Orleans and a school like Tulane really force you to put yourself out there and make you open up to new people, cultures and traditions. In short, this place just un-shelters you.
I know for a fact it has made me more adventurous and in turn made me want to welcome my new teammates with the same type of enthusiasm I received four years ago.
There's something about this place that just makes you feel like you belong, and I honestly feel this school and this city has helped shape me into the person I am today.
My name is Emily Ramier and I am NOLA BUILT.
Like most young people, I took swimming lessons to move past my fear of the water and to learn how to swim. I moved through lessons fairly quickly, and before long I moved past my fear of the water. Eventually my mom told me she wasn't going to continue paying for swimming lessons if I wasn't going to commit to it.
So I took a year off.
But a year away from the pool was all I needed to understand how much I truly missed being in the water. I remember telling my mom how much I missed swimming lessons and that I really wanted to commit to being a competitive swimmer.
Since that time, you couldn't pay me to get out of the pool.
For 14 years, swimming has been a major part of my life, and it's led me down a road that I couldn't possibly have imagined when I just 4 years old.
Through competitive swimming, I have learned endless lessons while making countless friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
Swimming also led me to Tulane University and the city of New Orleans.
As a senior student-athlete, these are the things you begin to think about when you realize that your competitive swimming career is coming to a close. You start to reflect.
Saturday will mark our team's final home meet of the year, and I can promise you that I will cry my eyes out on senior day.
Sure, laugh if you want. But what I can I say? Stuff like this just makes me emotional. Can you really blame me?
After all, the last four years have been some of the best years of my life. I just have so much to be thankful for when it comes to my time at Tulane and living in this city. My teammates here at Tulane are some of my best friends, and they truly are my second family.
Who would have ever thought I'd get so close to a group of girls in just four years?
Four years ago, I came to Tulane without knowing a single soul and I remember at the time that I was completely cool with it.
Yeah right. I was absolutely a nervous wreck.
I still remember that when my parents dropped me off at school, I could not stop crying. I don't know if that was because I was so close with my parents or if I was just so nervous for the big changes in front of me.
Needless to say, coming to Tulane and New Orleans was a big change, especially considering I was coming from Ontario, Canada.
After about a week on campus, I truly felt like New Orleans and Tulane had become my new home away from home because of the way my teammates welcomed me with open arms. But I also feel like my new surroundings played a large role in making me feel so comfortable in my new city.
A city like New Orleans and a school like Tulane really force you to put yourself out there and make you open up to new people, cultures and traditions. In short, this place just un-shelters you.
I know for a fact it has made me more adventurous and in turn made me want to welcome my new teammates with the same type of enthusiasm I received four years ago.
There's something about this place that just makes you feel like you belong, and I honestly feel this school and this city has helped shape me into the person I am today.
My name is Emily Ramier and I am NOLA BUILT.
Players Mentioned
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