The 2024 Paris Olympics have taken over the world this summer with a plethora of iconic moments, memes and controversies. On top of that, one student is bringing the Olympics to Grand Valley State University.
Incoming freshman Esteban Núñez del Prado competed at the 2024 Olympics, representing his country, Bolivia. Competing in heat one of the men’s 200-meter individual medley against competitors from Paraguay and Seychelles, he placed third with a time of 2:08:10, ranking twenty-third overall.
Following the 2024 Olympics, he will be part of the GVSU swimming and diving team.
“We’ve never had someone (from the GVSU swimming and diving team) compete in the Olympic games before,” said Head Coach Andrew Boyce.
Being the first Olympian to join the team, Núñez del Prado is already making waves at GVSU.
Núñez del Prado’s recruitment process looked quite different from recruitment for an athlete residing in Michigan. For Núñez del Prado, he first heard about GVSU from a friend at the University.
“I talked with a friend and he told me how good (everything is) there, so I talked with the coach and he was a super nice person,” Núñez del Prado said.
Boyce noted that the recruitment process is often a different experience for everyone.
“We do a lot of Zoom meetings and phone calls, but with Esteban in particular, he had a friend on the team that told him about the school,” Boyce said. “We just went from there, and the rest is history.”
It was as simple as that, and the Bolivian Olympic athlete had his attention turned out of the country and towards Allendale, Michigan.
The GVSU Men’s swimming and diving team currently holds 13 GLIAC titles. This past February, the team secured their tenth consecutive win, finishing with a total of 915 points.
In a sport like swimming, it is important to have a strong team dynamic. Boyce is hoping that the addition of Núñez del Prado to the team will have a positive impact on the group’s dynamic and enhance their overall success.
“We continue to strive to be one of the top teams in Division II,” said Boyce. “We have a lot of athletes that push each other to be the best they can be. I think with an athlete at his caliber, he will know how to push the team and himself to the best of their abilities, and I can’t wait to see how he interacts with the students on campus and the team as well.”
Núñez del Prado competing in the Olympics will bring an entirely new perspective to the team dynamic.
“(The Olympics) are completely different (from) any other competition I have been to,” Núñez del Prado said.
Núñez del Prado will be bringing a lot of knowledge from the international competition to the GVSU swimming and diving team, but even with this life-changing experience, he hopes to learn even more during his time here.
“I hope to learn how to manage my schedule as (well) as possible and make great friends,” said Núñez del Prado.
Many students and supporters in the GVSU community are excited to see the impact that Núñez del Prado leaves on the University. On an Instagram post made by the swim and dive team, one of the comments reads, “This makes me so proud to be a GV swim alum!”
For Núñez del Prado, his time on campus is just as important as his time on the team. When asked what he was most excited about coming to GVSU, Núñez del Prado said, “To live the college experience. I think (it) will be great.”
