Watch: Aggie Olympian Recalls Path To Gold

Breeja Larson is not your average Texas A&M student. Larson is an Olympian and gold medalist who’s carried the Aggie spirit with her in every aspect of her success. The former sport management graduate student spent much of her academic career in the water competing at the highest levels of swimming.

Originally from Mesa, Ariz., Larson began swimming at the age of four. Larson and her family often participated in summer recreational swim teams. However, she began swimming competitively in high school at the age of 17 — an age she considers to be a late start.

Larson began attending Texas A&M in 2011. She enjoyed the uniqueness of College Station, the passion of the student body, and quickly became fond of the university’s traditions including the use of the word “howdy.”

In addition, Larson’s biggest reason for choosing Texas A&M was the opportunity to work with Texas A&M Women’s Swim Coach Steve Bultman. Unlike other collegiate swimmers, Larson did not have the base training of 10 or more years. She said Coach Bultman was very careful with her training, which she responded to quite well.

“Coach Bultman built me into the swimmer I am today. I was given the chance of a lifetime to be coached by him and to swim for such an incredible program. The entire staff is very caring and generous with their time. They do whatever it takes in helping their athletes fulfilling their dreams,” Larson said.

Today, Larson’s main races are the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke, and the 4×100 meter medley relay. When she first started, she was like a piece of talented clay that just needed molding, said Coach Bultman.

Continue reading on Transform Lives.