SAULT STE. MARIE - Fedor Mironov, a sophomore at Lake Superior State University, is set to become the first swimmer in the university’s history to compete at the national championships.
The competition begins March 10 in Indiana, marking a milestone for the university’s swimming program, which is currently in its second season. Mironov, originally from Russia, joined the team during its inaugural year after moving to the United States for high school.
Mironov, a sophomore swimmer at Lake Superior State University, began his training at 6 years old in Russia. His parents introduced him to the water after he participated in several other sports.
The sport eventually provided Mironov with the opportunity to move to the United States to attend high school in New York. He said the move fulfilled a personal ambition he previously kept private. “My parents reached out to them, you know, they were going back and forth, and they decided that I should come to the U.S and that was my dream from my childhood,” Mironov said. “But I never told that to anybody because I thought it was impossible. But, now I feel like nothing is impossible.”
Following high school, Mironov committed to the newly formed swimming program at Lake Superior State University, joining during its first year of existence. While he did not qualify for the national meet as a freshman, he credited daily practice for a significant increase in his performance levels during his second season.
“I always thought I would get somewhere far in the sport I really love,” Mironov said. “But last year I really thought I would go. I was going to qualify for nationals, but it was not good, you know, and this year my results went up really, really high.”
The national competition is scheduled to begin on March 10th in Indiana.