Water: A Driving Force in Jorgensen’s Life
NOVEMBER 13, 2023
By Conner Felts
Conner Jorgensen started swimming in the fourth grade.
Now a senior on the Virginia Military Institute swim and dive team, Jorgensen’s life is still centered around the water.
“A lot of my friends were on a year-round swim team, so I really started swimming during the summer after my fourth-grade year. I have been swimming ever since. It has been about 11 years or so now.”
During his time in the pool, Jorgensen’s been able to meet some prestigious people and was even able to swim with Olympians.
“I started out with mainly just summer league and then I went on to join a year-round program called ‘Nova Virginia Aquatics’ in Richmond, Virginia. While I was there, I got to swim with some people that made it to the Olympics.”
One, in particular, was gold medalist, Townley Haas.
“I got to swim with him one time and it was crazy to swim casually with someone who had gotten a gold medal. He was swimming in my lane and let me go in front of him. He was taking it easy on me and I was going as hard as I could, and he still chased me down.”
Jorgensen made it a priority to be the best he could be, joining multiple teams and challenging himself to stay in the water for as long as possible.
“During high school, I was on three different teams,” he said. “I was on my summer league team, high school team and a year-round team.”
When not competing, he was teaching his craft. That was his first job.
Or he was beside the pool, protecting those in the water. Lifeguarding was his second job.
His third was coaching at a rival high school.
“They were looking for coaches at the time, so I took the job. While I was coaching them, some of my swimmers made it to the conference swimming event. It was very rewarding watching them make it to their goals knowing I played a part in their success. Now I get to watch them break records and achieve their goals, which makes me feel very accomplished.”
Out of the water, Jorgensen stays active and loves being outdoors, anything from lifting weights to tossing a Frisbee or hiking. He especially enjoys spending time with family.
“I love doing these things with my sister especially,” he said. “She is two years older than me. She started swimming at the same time I did so it has been something we have done together most of our lives. We have always been very close. She is my absolute best friend. She has always looked out for me and always tried to do what was best for me even when I didn’t know what I needed. Me and my sister probably hang out with each other more than I do with any of my other friends. A while back, my sister found a Taylor Swift concert for us to go to. We are both huge Taylor Swift fans! We danced so hard that nobody even wanted to be around us. I love being able to let loose and be myself with her. She is truly my best friend.”
A busy schedule is paramount to Jorgensen’s success, he says, allowing him to get in a rhythm and get through the day. He says staying busy makes him more successful.
“It forces me to plan and get started on things a lot sooner. I especially have to plan for when I go away for swimming. I have to meet with my professors and send people emails to make sure I don’t miss work and to make sure I stay on top of my grades. Teachers here at VMI make it easy for athletes to communicate with them. It is a very NCAA-friendly classroom environment here at VMI.”
VMI can get tough for many people because of the monotonous schedule and the same things going on every day. Jorgensen thrives on the routine and is involved in many aspects of VMI.
In addition to swimming, he’s an Old Corps Lieutenant for Golf Co. He also works at VMI in career services, helping cadets work on resumes, internships and finding jobs upon graduation.
“I have a passion for helping other people.”
The pool has become a way to decompress at the end of the long days.
Jorgensen plans to become a structural engineer and to commission as a Coast Guard officer following graduation.