From San Juan To Chapel Hill: The Story Of Xavier Ruiz

Xavier Ruiz and his father arrange selfmade lane strains in a river close to their hometown in Puerto Rico when the swimming pools closed due to the pandemic. Ruiz wasn’t going to let that preserve him out of the water.

“I swam in the river for six months,” Ruiz stated.

Ruiz’s willpower continues to be his defining attribute since he started swimming for UNC.

This summer season, he competed on the Junior Pan American Games and earned Puerto Rico’s first gold medal, setting a Junior Pan Am report within the 100 breast. His neighborhood again dwelling celebrated after they heard the information.

“There’s a lot of young kids that do swimming,” Ruiz stated. “They sent me videos of them watching the race. I was very proud seeing that.”

Ruiz stated he was excited not solely due to the win, however due to the possibility to signify Puerto Rico and set an instance for younger swimmers throughout Latin America who face obstacles to competing at excessive ranges.

“Even if you come from those countries and you have to practice alone or something, do whatever it takes to make it,” Ruiz stated. “It’s worth it at the end.”

 

Path to UNC

 

Ruiz took his first swimming lesson at 4 years outdated. During it, his dad and mom stated he cried and held on to his mother’s leg tightly.

 

“I didn’t actually learn to swim until I was six, so it took me two years,” stated Ruiz.

 

However, as soon as he received the grasp of it, Ruiz’s dad and mom stated he by no means needed to depart the water, whether or not it was the seashores of Puerto Rico or the lanes of the pool.

 

“I could be at the beach for a whole weekend,” Ruiz stated. “No meals, no something, simply on the seashore. I simply love being within the water.’

 

As Ruiz turned extra concerned with swimming competitively, he confronted some obstacles. He typically practiced alone whereas in highschool, with a coach that was solely capable of come two to a few occasions every week.

 

Without a crew to push him, Ruiz constructed his personal construction. His self-discipline and understanding of his personal approach caught the eye of Coach Javier Sossa, the UNC affiliate head coach on the time.

 

Sossa stated when he first heard Ruiz’s identify, he wasn’t certain if he was quick sufficient for the crew.

 

“He is still very young compared to the rest of his class, so I kind of said ‘Let’s see what happens,” Sossa stated. “Then, the next year he developed incredibly well.”

 

Sossa reached out to Ruiz and stated it was clear he was particular, not solely due to his velocity, however due to his story.

 

“For me, as a Latin American, I think it was knowing what he has done in Puerto Rico without all the resources that others kids might have here in the U.S.,” Sossa stated.

 

Sossa stated Ruiz’s drive and eagerness to be the very best cemented his perception that Ruiz can be an incredible addition to the crew at UNC. Later, when Ruiz visited North Carolina, he stated he instantly felt a connection to this system.

 

“It was my third visit and I had two other visits after. When I came here, I canceled my other visits,” Ruiz stated. “I really liked everything.”

 

Settling into the crew
 
Moving to Chapel Hill got here with changes for Ruiz. In Puerto Rico, he was used to swimming alone or practising at no matter tempo he felt that day.
 
“When you come here, you need to do everything as a group and as a team,” Ruiz stated. “That had a big impact on me.”
 
Head Coach Mark Gangloff stated that the shift pushed Ruiz to thrive.
 
“He wants to beat everybody in practice, which is great and perfect for the other people in the pool, because no one wants to lose,” Gangloff stated. “So ultimately, he’s there elevating our training environment.”
 
Gangloff stated Ruiz can be a playful and enjoyable particular person. His skill to be extremely aggressive and preserve issues gentle is a perfect mixture.
 
Ruiz’s aggressive nature stood out instantly to his teammates too, particularly to his suitemate Adam Maraana, who met him at the beginning of their freshman yr.
 
“I think the best way to describe it is that he’s just a racer,” stated Maraana. “He doesn’t care if it’s not his stroke, if it’s his weak event. No matter what it is, he just goes. He’s all in for what he’s doing.”
 
Maraana stated that Ruiz’s skill to go all in is really spectacular, particularly when Ruiz might need been laughing or joking about one thing moments earlier than.
 
“I wish I had that ability to just be all fluffy and giggle before my race, and then just in one single moment be like the best swimmer on earth,” Maraana stated.
 
Maraana is a world scholar from Israel. The adjustment to tradition and life at UNC was one thing he and Xavier bonded over, Maraana stated.
 
“I truly believe it is a gift that I received, having him alongside me and training with him,” Maranna stated. “I believe it’s the biggest challenge, and having someone like that just making you laugh at the hard moments or who tells you to focus when you have to, it’s just a gift.”
 

Making historical past for his nation
 
This summer season, Ruiz had the chance to signify Puerto Rico within the Junior Pan American Games. Four years prior, he had competed and positioned eighth, however this yr he introduced dwelling a gold medal, the primary for his nation.
 
His household stated being there to see his success was an unimaginable feeling and made each early morning, lengthy apply and sacrifice really feel value it.
 
“We were so proud of not only his achievements in the pool but also the dedication and resilience he’s shown along the way,” his dad and mom stated.
 
Ruiz’s dad and mom celebrated and stated many individuals reached out to congratulate him. They stated his success introduced a whole lot of pleasure and pleasure to their hometown.
 
“We don’t get the chance to see too many Hispanic swimmers coming to college swimming in the NCAA,” Ruiz stated. “So, I always tell the kids to give it a chance, to come more to the U.S. and have an open mind, even if it seems like it’s impossible at first.”
 
Now, Ruiz continues to coach with the identical willpower that introduced him to UNC. Gangloff stated since Ruiz remains to be very younger for his grade, he expects Ruiz to have three extra nice years at UNC and knowledgeable profession past that.
 
“I want him to be able to represent Puerto Rico in the Olympics,” Gangloff stated. “I mean, that is something that we talk about often, and something that when we’re recruiting people we highlight, and ultimately, that’s the pinnacle of our sport.”

Ruiz 100-Meter Breaststroke Visualization