Courtesy: arena
Global sports brand, arena, has added NCAA Champion Ella Eastin to their North America team of sponsored athletes. The 2019 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year is the first woman in collegiate history to have a total career sweep in the 400m IM, winning four consecutive NCAA titles in the event– but her career is truly just beginning.
Eastin, of Orange County, California, began swimming because her parents wanted her and her sister to be water safe and involved in something fun. Just two seasons after joining the local recreational swim team, she made the jump to the club level with Irvine Novaquatics and SoCal Aquatics, where her love for the sport flourished. The Individual Medley powerhouse laid the groundwork for a successful collegiate career and helped lead Stanford University women’s swim team to three National Championships.
“I am always driven to continue to improve in every area of my life, but when it comes to swimming, the environment that I am in now at Stanford provides me constant inspiration,” explains American-record holder, Ella Eastin.
Eastin has achieved a lot– including capturing American records in the 400m IM, 200m IM, and 200m Butterfly– but she’s also faced adversity. At the 2017 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Eastin secured a second-place finish only to find out she had been disqualified. While it was a devastating ruling, she was pleased with her race. In fact, it’s one of her proudest swimming moments to date. After seeing her time, and what she was capable of, Eastin felt more confident in her ability to compete at the elite level.
“We are proud to welcome Ella to the arena family.” said arena U.S. General Manager Mark Pinger. “She’s a talented and motivated athlete with amazing potential. We are excited to see her unlock that potential as she prepares for Olympic Trials and a spot on 2020 US Olympic Team. We’re thrilled to have her on our roster and do everything we can to support her.”
As Ella prepares to compete in the 2019 FINA World Championships this July in Gwangju, South Korea, she recognizes that nothing worth celebrating comes easy. “As I step into this new phase of my swimming career, I am grateful to receive the support from arena in my pursuits leading into 2020,” Eastin says.
About arena
For over 40 years arena has equipped the world’s leading swimmers and lovers of watersports with racing, training, and leisure swimwear built on a foundation of in-depth research, technical know-how, and an unyielding commitment to quality. With U.S. headquarters in Portland, Ore., arena is the exclusive outfitter of the U.S. National Team, and a proud partner of USA Swimming. www.arenawaterinstinct.com
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