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Hi Wildcat Fans!
This past week has been a tough one for our Arizona Athletic family. Ty Wells, a former Arizona swimmer, passed away on Friday, Jan. 27. He was a friend to me and many other athletes here on campus. Ty was a bright light, always smiling, saying hi to everyone who walked by him and giving so much to our Tucson community. We served on the SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) together and he was a great leader. He was always looking for ways to be better or to make the student-athlete experience better. We were constantly doing community service together and he made it a fun time. I was a small glimpse in his life, but I will forever be grateful for the little moments I was able to share with him. Tell your people that you love them because we truly never know what’s going to happen.
We are so close to our home opener on Thursday against Long Beach State. There are so many emotions that come with the anticipation of our season. We work hard throughout the fall and January to be ready for this marathon of a season. As a fifth-year senior, I still get nervous on game days, which is a good thing. I have to make sure I get an iced dirty chai before I get to the field, I put my uniform on the same way I have since I was in club ball, and I listen to music like Adele or John Legend to keep me calm.
There will be lots of nerves in our locker room because of how many newbies we have, but our job as upperclassmen/returners is to make them feel like they belong and we are here to compete and have fun. I think our identity as a team includes intensity, focus and also laughter as we play. I am really excited to see how well we perform together because I have a good feeling about this squad. Please come support us, say hi, and cheer as loud as you can! We appreciate all of the support that we get.
The last thing I wanted to mention this week is the launch of my T-shirt! I designed it on Bonfire.com and wanted to do something that represented me as a person. I am proud to be born and raised here in Tucson so on the front of the shirt it says “Homegrown” and underneath it says “Izzy Pacho.” On the back it says “You Are Enough” which is something that I tell myself every day. I struggled when I first got to college and felt like who I was and what I was doing wasn’t enough. It took me a long time to find myself and love myself for who I am. I want to spread that love for my city and for each other. No matter who you are or what you are doing, you are enough.
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