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My Cousin Is Competing At The Olympics

She is a certified boss.

Brianna Peralta

Aug 15, 2016

Avila University

Getty Images

I remember about a year ago getting a letter from my cousin, Anita Alvarez, asking us to buy T-shirts to help her raise money to get to Rio de Janeiro to compete in the 2016 Olympics. I could hardly believe that someone I knew - let a lone one of my family members - was going to be in the Olympics.

Anita is a 19 year old, synchronized swimmer originally from New York. In October of 2013, Anita moved across country to compete for an Olympic bid. During her time there she trained on the USA synchronized swimming Junior National team and eventually moved up to the Senior National Team where Anita and her partner Mariya Koroleva were selected for the duet for the 2016 U.S. Olympic synchronized swimming team.

There is something extremely special about being related to an Olympian. I get excited seeing her in some of the magazines I have grown up reading. Each feature she is in there for a different reason. In magazines like Vogue and Elle, she talks about how to put on makeup that lasts in and out of the pool. There are also magazines like “Latina Style Magazine” that showcased her as a certified boss lady as one of the Latina athletes that are competing in Rio.

On top of all the awesome media coverage she is getting, Anita is living every athletes dream of making it to the Olympics. She gets to experience Olympic village, she gets all the USA swag, and she is also teammates with some of the most legendary people.

Fast forward a year later, I get to see my cousin do her thing and compete in the synchronized swimming portion of the Olympics. Its awesome to see someone I know do something that seems like such an unattainable goal for the majority of athletes. Anita and her partner are extremely talented and I’m so glad they get to show their hard work off to the world. Congrats on all your success so far Anita, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for you in Rio.

Please feel free to follow Anita on all of her social media accounts:

Twitter: @anitaalvarez12

Instagram: @anitaalvarez

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anita.alvarez.122?fref=ts

To watch more synchronized swimming, head to nbc.com.

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My Cousin Is Competing At The Olympics

She is a certified boss.

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The Best Lines from the Fab Four

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you

Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you

There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend

He say, "I know you, you know me", One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

Oh please, say to me, You'll let me be your man. And please say to me, You'll let me hold your hand

It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see

Can you hear me? When it rains and shine, it's just a state of mind

Little darling, it's been long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it' s been here. Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's alright

We danced through the night and we held each other tight, and before too long I fell in love with her. Now, I'll never dance with another when I saw her standing there

I love you, I love you, I love you, that's all I want to say

You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world

All the lonely people, where do they all come from. All the lonely people, where do they all belong

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday

And when the brokenhearted people, living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be.

And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

I'll give you all I got to give if you say you'll love me too. I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you. I don't care too much for money. Money can't buy me love

All you need is love, love is all you need

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life, I love you more

Obviously the best superpower.

There have been many lessons learned.

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2. How to be thankful for family and friends.

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4. What the word "community" really means.

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10. How to work for what I want.

11. How to be great at giving directions.

12. How to be humble.

13. To be well-rounded.

14. How to be great at conflict resolution.

15. The beauty of getting outside and exploring.

16. To be prepared for anything.

17. That you don't always have to do it alone.

18. How to be creative.

19. To brush off gossip.

I have never been so thankful to know you.

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

Don't freak out

Email the professor

Attend the first class

Keep attending class

Have a backup plan

Remember that everything works out at the end

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