Battler Spotlight: Brazilian Native Destined to Swim Her Way Through Alderson Broaddus

PHILIPPI, W.Va. -- Alderson Broaddus University women's swimming team inaugurates, Clara Lucarelli, as their first international student to swim for the program.

Clara Lucarelli, 19, of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a sophomore international student that is majoring in business administration and is a current member of the women's swim team.

Lucarelli enrolled at AB on January 7, 2017. She was alone, barely spoke, and didn't understand English that well.

"I was very nervous and a little terrified when I came to America," said Lucarelli. "Just not having my family with me or not even knowing anyone from America, was very hard for me."

Lucarelli graduated high school in December of 2016 which led her to come to AB in the spring semester of 2017. It is very uncommon for United States incoming freshmen that graduate high school no later than the month of June, but in Brazil that is very common.

"Brazil's education system is setup from the months of January to June during the months of July to October than have a summer break, then they will graduate school in December," said Lucarelli.

Lucarelli claims that international students will notice that their education from their homeland was much harder there than it is in the American colleges.

"In Brazil, my algebra class was very difficult, but when I came to AB, the algebra was much easier to me," said Lucarelli. "Learning English was another big step to know in the Brazil's education system."

Most international students come to AB for an education or because of sport scholarship only.

Lucarelli is a different case. She was offered a swimming team position, but what really helped make the decision to come to school was having the opportunity to study in America.

Jeremy Linaburg is a fellow team on the AB Men's Swimming team and he gave a great compliment about Lucarelli.

"Clara is a star," said Linaburg with smile.

Everyday. Lucarelli does face many challenges with adversity because she is one out two students on campus that speaks Portuguese and is from Brazil. She tries her best everyday practicing her English so people will understand her better when she speaks.

"I'm not a shy person, but my English can take me a long time say certain words to people," said Lucarelli. "I tell people to be patient with as I tried speaking English fluently."

AB's athletic department hired a new swim coach, Chris Chance, to the program this season.

"Being an international student you would have to work different than others," said Coach Chance. "Clara works very hard because she established a great work ethic that makes her successful in the pool."

While Lucarelli is at practice she becomes a different person than she is outside of her struggles of being a international student.

"Swimming helps me to become understood as one in with the team without speaking any language," said Lucarelli.

When Lucarelli is with her teammates they all have a significant bond with each other, which is swimming in the pool that made them become athletes.

Crystalynn Rathon, a fellow teammate and friend of Lucarelli, thinks that Clara is a very tough competitor when she swims.

"Clara is a very awesome person," said Rathon. "She is always there to help and gives others nice compliments. She sees the best in people."

Coach Chance suggested if Lucarelli keeps doing the same hard work concept, he believes she will become very successful during the rest of the season.