A summertime hobby became a lifetime passion for Emma Livezey. After swimming for 11 years, Emma took on a big title for the Mount Pisgah swim team just as a sophomore.

During the 2020-2021 swim season, Emma was the first-ever Mount Pisgah swimmer to place in the top three at the state meet. 

At the age of five, Emma started swimming for a small summer league called the Piranhas. This summertime pastime eventually led her to swim for the YMCA. 

Shortly after, the Livezey’s decided it was time for more rigorous training and Emma joined Swim Atlanta Johns Creek. This club team would allow Emma to continue to explore her passion and talent. 

Emma then joined the Mount Pisgah swim team in seventh grade. Starting then, swim coach Grant Norwood could see her passion and potential.

Emma has always wanted to achieve greatness even at such a young age. 

Livezey joined the Mount Pisgah Swim team in seventh grade with Norwood. 

From such a young age Norwood saw her potential and grit she had for swimming. 

“Her strong desire to succeed and her prevailing positive mental attitude drives her training and overall success,” said Norwood. 

He goes on to talk about how her mental attitude has brought Livezey so much of her success.

“She has a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to training and competing in swimming, a strong work ethic, a thoughtful appreciation of her opportunity to swim and for her God-given talent,” said Norwood.

Livezey shows these characteristics along with grit and determination throughout her year-round swimming at Swim Atlanta along with her roots for her summer league- the piranhas. 

Livezey also swims two hours a day, five to six days a week with occasional holidays off, along with weight training with Coach Miller during the day. 

Mount Pisgah Swim Team captain, senior Haley Agin, after having swum on the team for years, understands the mental strength it takes to swim alone for hours.

“Emma has had experience, puts in countless hours a week just starting at the bottom of a pool, and has pushed herself to be on the top of her age group,” said Agin. 

This year Livezey set the goal for herself to place in the top three at state for any event she could. She faced many challenges this year relating to COVID-19 which resulted in her training being thrown a little off course. However, she refers to quarantine as a blessing in disguise because it granted her a few much-needed months of break.

Pam Livezey says, “Emma has loved swimming a lot more than not, but there have also been times, and one period of time in particular, in which she hated swimming so much so she wanted to quit,” said her mom. 

“Fortunately for Emma, she had a very understanding and supportive swim coach and club that helped guide her through the rough patch. Fast forward a year-and-a-half later and she is focused on training and swimming PR’s in hopes of swimming at a D1 school.”

Livezey came back with more goals and worked hard to meet them. She had four individual qualifying times, two more than she did her freshman year. She also helped the girls A relay qualify for three events. 

Pre-state, Livezey attended school virtually from Thanksgiving through the beginning of February. Emma started focusing outside of training in the pool, and put her focus on her health, staying well-rested, and well-hydrated. 

Once Livezey arrived at the state meet she swam 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 medley relay, and the 400 freestyle relay. Livezey anchored the relays while helping drop seven seconds from the 400 free entry time. She also dropped two seconds in 100 back, and two seconds in 100 freestyle. 

Her 100 back placed seventh, and 100 free was placed third, putting her on the podium. 

No swimmer in Mount Pisgah history has placed in the top three. The closest the swimmers have come was last year when Livezey and sophomore Madison Childress placed in the top 20 last season as a freshman but nobody has ever earned a podium position.

Livezey also updated her school record for 100 free, now holding five school records.

Livezey overall had a fantastic time at state, accompanying an amazing end to her school season. 

Norwood says “Her performance was incredible, a sophomore recording two top-seven finishes in a meet that includes the best swimmers in all of Georgia across three classifications [1A-3A] is unheard of and certainly a first for Mount Pisgah.” 

“I have always been impressed by Emma and I know she’s going to go on to do great things,” Agin added. “She’s so kind, uplifting, funny, determined, and resilient. I am so proud of how far she has come and can’t wait to see what she does in the next two years.” 

Livezey’s next state meet will be in March for Swim Atlanta. All of her friends, teammates, and family will be rooting for her through the rest of her swim career.