Bet on Burnsville swimmer to reach for pie-in-the-sky goal

Burnsville junior Alexis Dobrzynski competed in two individual events (50-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly) in the Class 2A girls' swimming meet this past weekend at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. She finished 13th in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.32 seconds.

As a sophomore, Dobrzynski went to the state meet as a member of two relay teams. Here is a closer look at Dobrzynski:

The best movie I've seen in the past year? "Pitch Perfect" is an awesome movie! The music is great, and some of the lines in the movie are hilarious.

Three words or phrases my friends or teammates might use to describe me? Dedicated; spirited; caring.

What songs do you never skip on your iPod? I sound like such a girl, but I love listening to High School Musical's song "Bet On It." Other songs that I can't seem to skip are: "The Fighter" by Gym Class Heroes; "Gangnam Style" by Psy; and "Dragostea Din Tei" by O-Zone.

How did you get started in swimming? I started club swimming when I was in third grade. I joined because my friends from around my neighborhood were all swimming, and because I loved being in water. When I reached the end of seventh grade, girls from the high school team started talking to me about joining, and eventually they convinced me to join.

At my first varsity practice, I felt ... scared because I was with a bunch of new girls, but they all accepted me immediately and helped me feel like a part of the team.

What did you work on in the offseason? Swimming has no offseason. I will continue to work on speed and technique in the pool almost every day before the next high school season.

How do you balance school and sports during the year? Using good time management helps a lot with managing both school and swimming during the year. I do my best to make good use of time in school. There always seems to be time to get a swimming workout in, though.

When you have time off during vacation, what do you like to do? I like to spend time with friends and family doing a variety of random activities from baking cupcakes to going on bike rides. Over the summer, I love spending off time at a beach or pool.

Who are your favorite athletes and why? My favorite athletes are Michael Phelps because he is an incredible athlete, and J.R. Celski [American speed skater] because his recovery from a skate injury and quick return to speed skating is motivational.

What is the best sports advice you ever received? When I was having a discussion with one of my coaches, I asked if he approved of my goals. His response to me was something like this: "You know, there are three types of goals: realistic, optimistic, and pie-in-the-sky (incredibly high). It's good to have reachable goals, but you are limiting yourself. Never limit yourself. If you want to reach your full potential, always reach for the pie in the sky." This inspired me to always dream big.