Purple tinsel strung through the hair of swimmers, #Swim4Frankie in Sharpie on their backs and murals and posters scattered throughout supporting schools show that the loss of a teammate won’t be forgotten. Tragedy struck the AquaKats in December when they lost sophomore, Frankie Romero, but the team kept swimming, placing high through every competition, breaking PRs and eventually making it to regionals and state. 

The AquaKats swim team strives to remember their lost friend, sister and teammate by facing every meet with the same strong attitude that Romero was known for. At the swim banquet Feb 29, a Frankie award was given to senior Maeghan Evans. The award was given to a student who shared Frankie’s outlook on life, swim coach Kristi Brown explained.

“It is another way we will remember Frankie,” Brown said.

Talking about Frankie still brings tears to Brown’s eyes.

“Every time she raced I always thought – look how strong she looks,” Brown said. “She awed me every time she raced because I was amazed by where that strength came from. Even the day she passed away, her first race I saw that strength.”

Swimmers have been doing their best to remember Romero and the attempts at that have led to support from others.

“The effort to bring attention and support to the swim team serves as a reminder of what some of us have witnessed and all of us are experiencing,” senior Kaley Hall said. “But it is also reassuring that people other than us at least try to understand how difficult of a position the swim team has been thrown into and acknowledge the situation.”

Other schools recognized the loss of Romero, and have acknowledged that in various ways.

“Lots of schools have made posters that they all display at swim meets and we have had moments of silence for her at some meets,” Hall said. “I think this is a really tasteful gesture, it’s nice to see the support of other programs at our swim meets.”

Team members do their best to stand up for their mates, even when they are absent.

“Frankie always had a positive attitude towards everyone on the team and expressed her differences,” Smith said. “She always had her hair dyed some bright color matching her personality. When we heard of the loss of our friend all the girls on the team went out and got a strip of our hair dyed a fun color to honor Frankie in our times of grief.”

While tragedy on other campuses might halt the continuation of sports, AquaKats know what Romero would have wanted.

“In terms of our team, we keep swimming,” Hall said. “We don’t allow a tragedy like this to take the sport that so many of us love away.  In my opinion, #swim4frankie is just an acknowledgment of what our swim team has been through regarding our teammate, and an agreement to keep swimming our best so as not to take advantage of the fact that we are all still able to while others can’t.”

Keeping up the work after losing a team member can be hard, but #Swim4Frankie pumps strength through the hearts of everyone on the team.

“Swim4frankie represents always staying strong,” sophomore Kameron Smith said. “Frankie was a strong swimmer, so to make sure she is honored we always stay strong to make sure Frankie lives through all of us. Just before we all swim we make sure to remember ‘Swim for Frankie.’  We remember that she’s watching over us and we want to make her proud.”