Leah Nelson

Bio:

Water polo was invented in Orange County so that the sons and daughters of Irvine, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach could hide from their swim coaches for at least three months a year.  The game is not a game in the O.C.  It is a lifestyle.  It is what your parents talk about at Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz or at the Balboa Bay Club.  I was texting Ryan and Seth last night and found out that my dad had asked Sandy Cohen to sue Northwestern University because I didn’t get assigned number 12.  I wore number 12 for four years in high school and that is an important number.  It’s like, a dozen.  Like a dozen doughnuts, which even Marissa could eat if she went to water polo practice. 

Before Northwestern, I learned to swim at Park Crest Swim Club in Madison, Wisconsin.  We moved to Orange County and the rest is a pretty good resume.  I was a sprinter for Uni High in Irvine and played water polo well enough to make All-CIF my senior year.  CIF is a big deal for Southern California parents.  It means that you don’t have to do any chores around the house during the summer after your senior year because you are resting your shoulder for the next season. 

Honestly, I do love Crystal Cove, my Rainbows, Pacific Coast Highway, and Wahoo’s Fish Tacos.  The O.C. is something we laugh about but it’s home to me. 

-written by Leah’s dad, Warren Nelson

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