Great schools are made up of an ongoing partnership between parents, students, teachers, and alumni, and when students join the Canterbury community, they become a part of that unique family for a lifetime. In this blog, we’ve checked in with Canterbury alumni Miguel Turcios, who is constantly redefining success and pushing through boundaries.
Miguel Turcios moved to Florida when he was 16 years old, leaving behind his family in his native Guatemala with the dream of becoming a better swimmer to qualify for an international swimming competition and represent his country.
In 2018, Miguel joined the Canterbury community and was a student through his junior and senior years until he graduated in May of 2020. As a Canterbury student, he showed his dedication and hard work as he maintained a rigorous academic schedule while swimming both for his club and school.
When asked about his time as a Canterbury student, Miguel said, “At Canterbury, I learned to push myself beyond my limits. I was pushed in all aspects of my life: academically, socially, and athletically. Having everyone in the Canterbury community support me motivated me to continue fighting and become the best at what I did. For that, I sincerely appreciate you all.”
Miguel is now a student-athlete at Lewis University and in his sophomore year majoring in aviation flight technology, and after many years of endless perseverance and hard work, his swimming dream has finally become a reality. In 2021, Miguel qualified to participate in the first-ever Junior Pan American Games hosted by Panam Sports. This competition was the first echelon to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and was celebrated from November 25 to December 5 in the beautiful city of Cali in Colombia. There, Miguel participated in the 100 and 200 backstroke, and the 100 breaststroke. His results can be seen here.
Two years ago, when these games were still in their planning phase, qualifying was just a mere dream. However, as time passed and he improved in the sport of swimming, Miguel’s dream slowly became a reality, and now, after much preparation and countless sessions, he has reached his goal of competing in an international competition! However, for Miguel, this is only just the beginning.
To Miguel’s teachers at Canterbury, his accomplishments are no surprise. Carlos Gomez, Canterbury’s World Languages Department Chair said, “During his time at Canterbury, Miguel demonstrated his dedication by practicing over five hours a day, while attending school, maintaining high grades, and living away from his parents and siblings, all in an effort to make his dream a reality. To me, Miguel is already a champion!”
To learn more about Canterbury’s athletics programs, click here, or to see more alumni stories, be sure to follow us on our social media channels!