Daphne Mead: A True Embodiment of Team Spirit

By: Hannah Wiley, Assistant Features Editor 

Daphne Mead, a freshman on the women's swim team, came to Canisius and immediately started to dominate collegiate swimming. She became the 11th overall female swimmer in the MAAC conference, the highest rank out of the entire men’s and women’s teams at Canisius. But we want to know, who is Daphne Mead outside of the pool?

Within seconds of sitting down with her, it became abundantly clear that Daphne was not only family-oriented, but incredibly compassionate and always thinking of the people around her. Daphne is from Baltimore, Maryland, and was raised right on the water in a family of swimmers. Her love for the sport started almost as soon as she could walk, as her mom was a diver growing up and her dad was a college swimmer. She has an older brother and two older sisters, who all grew up swimming, with her sisters following in their dad’s footsteps as collegiate athletes as well. Daphne is also a business management major. 

Daphne started swimming competitively alongside her siblings at the age of two, coached by her parents. Her favorite event is the 400-yard Individual Medley (IM), and her favorite stroke is backstroke. While these are all things that make up Daphne, it became clear that her love for swimming ran (or swam, if you will) deep. And not just because of the adrenaline or energy she gets from the sport, but because of the passions and values shared by the team. 

When I asked her about the team she immediately started talking about the comradery they have outside of the pool. “There’s this one thing we do where we all have to lifeguard this team that comes – we work Bills games too,” Daphne said. “Once a month we all do something fun: go to a pumpkin patch, bowling – both teams do it. It’s good team bonding; you get to know the team.” 

Daphne values her friends, and she loves finding ways to relax that aren’t swimming, but things that she can still do with her teammates. In her free time, she’s also a reader and reads a lot during the summer, especially her favorite genre, military history. 

Growing up in a family where they all did the same sport made their connection even stronger. Living in a house full of four dogs, three cats and three siblings, the Mead household is chaotic, but Daphne wouldn’t change that for the world. When she was younger they’d all go to Greenport, Long Island for vacation. “It’s my favorite place, it’s so pretty,” Daphne said. Her family is her support system, the people she turns to when the pressure is too much or she needs a reminder of home. 

In the roughly three short months Daphne has been in Buffalo, her favorite part of the city has become how it feels so much like a community, especially with the Bills. “Everywhere you see Bills, and you could not know anyone in the area and they’ll say ‘Go Bills.’ You get that with the Ravens, but not as much,” she said.

Yet, through all the things I learned about Daphne, one thing that stuck out was how incredibly selfless she is. When asked what her personal goals were for the season, her response was that her goals are not for herself, they are for the team. “Swimming is an individual sport, but in college, you’re here for the team,” Daphne said. “I just want to do well for the team and help the team get better.”

While Daphne talked a lot about swimming and her love for the sport, she also talked about her family, her love for her teammates, and her devotion to not only her own, but the overall success of the team. Daphne is incredibly down to earth, humble, and refuses to think of herself as an individual in a sport where you do almost everything individually. She cares for others deeply, but also has the competitive fire any college athlete needs. 

Her passion is strong and her kindness never dims. Daphne is someone who's going to be extremely successful both in and out of the pool.