Meet Your Trojans: Laura Ruiz Astorga

LITTLE ROCK—This week's featured "Meet Your Trojans" student-athlete is sophomore swimmer Laura Ruiz Astorga, a psychology major from Madrid, Spain.

Ruiz Astorga is the current school record holder in the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke. She is also part of three school relay records in the 400- and 800-yard free relays and the 400-yard medley relay. Ruiz Astorga won the Missouri Valley Conference's Swimmer of the Week award on two separate occasions her freshman year.
 
The Little Rock swimming and diving team's next meet will be held on Saturday against Evansville at the Donaghey Aquatic Center.
 
What made you want to attend UALR?

Being back home I couldn't really swim in college, and I really wanted to continue my career in swimming. So I started to research and ended up contacting Coach Amy Burgess. She made it sound like a great athletic program. So I started looking it up and everything, and it just looked like the perfect place for me. The team looked really loving and supportive. This is my second year here, and I really like it. It was definitely the right decision.
 
What's your favorite thing to do in Little Rock?

I love going hiking, playing sand volleyball, watching movies and going downtown. We hike at Pinnacle Mountain and Emerald Park.
 
What's the best part about being a Trojan?
I love how everyone is really supportive, and we all cheer on each other. We all go support everyone, and it seems like a big family.
 
Who is the athlete you most admire?

Katinka Hosszu, a Hungarian swimmer. I admire her because of her hard work. She swims like every event in every swim meet. Even though it might seem like too much, she works through it, and it ends up paying off. So I admire her dedication and motivation.
 
What's the earliest memory you have of participating in swimming?

When I was 5 years old in my first swim meet. We had to swim a 25-meter freestyle, and I didn't even know how to dive. So I just jumped in the water, and I did the 25-meter however I could. I ended up winning it. I have this huge trophy that says first place in like 2003. I have it back home, and that's how I got started and how I started to love swimming.
 
What's the best advice you've received?

To not give up. To believe in myself, because I have problems in believing in myself sometimes. So whenever they remind me to believe in myself and that I can do it, I just think about it.
 
Who's your childhood hero?

My mom, because she pushes me to do better. She's always there supporting me. Whenever something went wrong she was there to support me, and whenever something went good she was there to tell me to work even harder.
 
What advice would you give to children just getting started in athletics?

It's going be hard, but in the end you're going to love it. So just enjoy it, and don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just love what you do.
 
What are some of the community service projects you've been involved with since coming to Little Rock?

We volunteered at Race for the Cure last year and that was so much fun. We wear pink tutus, face paint and go all out!
 
What's your favorite home-cooked meal?

Everything my mom cooks, but her lasagna is my favorite. I tried to cook that this year for my roommates, and it didn't turn out that well. It has beef, lasagna pasta, tomato sauce and a lot of cheese. Milk with the meat is the special ingredient.
 
What's the best reason people should attend your team's meets?

Some people might think that swimming is not that interesting, but you actually get into it if you see us swim. We work really hard every week, so when we have our meets we do our very best.
 
What does G.R.I.T mean to you?

I think G.R.I.T. is great. It just shows how dedicated we are and how we respect each other. We try to do our best in everything and support each other in everything.
 
What is something that you've recently learned?

I had a bad week last week and it was tough. So I've learned how to overcome the stress and the pressure that's put on us through swimming and school. I realized that I am tougher than I think I am, and that I can overcome anything.