MIHS student-athlete shines with positivity
Published 3:30 pm Friday, June 12, 2026
Each time Sophie Lin enters the pool, she brings major splashes of energy and positivity to the scene.
The Mercer Island High School (MIHS) sophomore, who competes for both the school swim team and the Seattle Synchro artistic swimming squad, has been named one of seven winners of the 2026 Most Positive Athletes in Washington by Positive Athlete.
The recognition program “celebrates high character, high school student-athletes and coaches who have overcome difficult circumstances, given back to their schools and communities in a significant way, or just have an infectious positive attitude that makes everyone around them a better person,” according to a press release.
Lin, 16, has taken her national-level artistic swimming talent to the Pan American Games, Junior Olympics and Junior Nationals over the years. At the Pan American Games in Colombia last year, she placed sixth in the solo competition and her team took sixth overall. In a previous year, the ninth-year artistic swimmer notched two first-place finishes at the Junior Olympics.
Her mother Quan Zhou submitted a nomination form to Positive Athlete and noted that her daughter also won a DECA state championship, volunteers with Food Lifeline, tutors elementary students, serves as a SplashForward Youth Ambassador, earned certifications as an artistic swimming coach and judge and more.
“Whether coaching younger athletes, supporting teammates or serving others, Sophie consistently leads with humility, empathy and positivity,” Zhou said.
Lin said that she’s honored to receive the Positive Athlete accolade and be recognized for her personality.
“My goal is to always get the most out of practice for synchronized when we practice like three hours a day,” she said. “My goal is to always bring the energy. Sometimes that might just mean like, ‘Guys, we need to focus,’ or sometimes that means we’re going to have lots of fun. We’re going to laugh and have fun.”
It’s a reciprocal situation since teammates have also encouraged her along the way, she said.
“It really does help make a really hard practice go by much better and much faster,” Lin added.
The Islander received support and motivation from others after she sustained a knee injury during a synchro practice four years ago. After being sidelined for about a month and going to physical therapy, Lin returned to action.
“I definitely had a lot of people who were very positive about my ability to go back,” said Lin, adding that it was an uplifting experience.
From all her experiences in the classroom, sports and in life, Lin feels the most important lesson she’s learned is to live in the moment and make the most out of every situation.
“Being mindful and understanding that right now is right now. You can’t predict the future. You can’t change the past,” she said.
