Eastern Wayne Today

For senior swimmer Alli Vassilakos, an eight-month break from swimming led to a rejuvenated passion for the sport and consecutive All-American seasons. The Clarkston native initially committed to Carthage College in Wisconsin but found herself disenchanted with swimming there. After one semester, she transferred to Wayne State University (WSU), drawn by the experiences shared by her brother and former club teammates.

"Wayne was always in the back of my mind because a lot of my club team was here and my brother was here," Vassilakos explained. "I was hearing from other friends, teammates, and my brother the experience they were having here, and I thought 'this is not matching,' so I decided to make the switch."

Returning home during Christmas break, Vassilakos enrolled at WSU in January 2022 but did not join the swim program until August. She credits her break from swimming for rekindling her desire to compete. Despite challenges in getting back into shape, assistant coach Gloria Martinez Perez encouraged her to swim longer distances.

"I cannot say it was easy. Because I was not swimming, I was really out of shape," Vassilakos admitted. Assistant coach Perez pushed her limits while gradually easing her into longer races.

During her first season at Wayne State, Vassilakos focused on enjoying swimming again rather than setting high expectations. Her positive mindset led to success at the GLIAC Championship where she earned three All-GLIAC honors.

"If you are in the moment having fun, everything else will come, everything happens for a reason," said Vassilakos.

Her performance continued to improve leading up to the NCAA Championships where she achieved four All-American accolades. Reflecting on this achievement, she stated: "It was at Indy's pool... That is my favorite pool to go to."

Coach Perez reminded Vassilakos of her progress: "She (Gloria) was talking to me and walking back through what I've done in my time at Wayne."

Vassilakos' second season brought more accolades despite mental challenges at nationals. Coach Perez's encouragement helped her refocus: "Gloria sat me down on the second day and said, 'This isn't the person we know.'"

As she nears graduation with a degree in Management and an MBA pursuit underway, Vassilakos balances academics with athletics as Co-President of Wayne State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"Whatever I am working on at the moment is what I am focusing on," remarked Vassilakos regarding time management.

With dedication and focus guiding her final collegiate season, Alli reflects on past challenges as motivation for future achievements: "Looking back at how far you've come, think about how far you can go."