Swimmer rides on a wave of talent

In the pool of life, there are many swimmers, and they all have their own lanes.

Some do the backstroke and some do the breaststroke, while some just freestyle.

Citrus College swim team member Brittany Orduno has dove into a number of different athletic lanes throughout her life.

Orduno is a 20-year-old, 5-foot-1-inch second-year swimmer who also competes on the college’s water polo team.

“When I get up on the block, while there’s people cheering, I can only hear silence,” Orduno said. “I’m focused on what I have to do.”

Orduno, a Glendora native, comes from a family of athletes.

“My dad played baseball,” Orduno said, adding that the first sport she ever played was tee-ball.

“I have two little brothers, a half sister, and two twin brothers,” Orduno said. “They all swim and play water polo.”

Being the eldest of six siblings, Orduno “started the chain” of playing water polo and swimming.

Orduno attended Royal Oak Junior High, and it was there she got her real start in sports.
“Before swimming, I was in volleyball and karate,” Orduno said. “Karate was the sport that gave me the motivation that I can do any sport.”

Orduno took that motivation to Charter Oak High School in Covina, where as a freshman she also played volleyball.

Later in the year, when she noticed  her friends were signing up to try out, Orduno decided to give water polo a try.

Due to a time conflict between water polo and karate, Orduno was forced to choose between them.

Orduno chose to do backstrokes instead of backflips, opting to continue with water polo.
“Water sports are my favorite, but I do miss karate,” Orduno said.

During her sophomore year at Charter Oak, she decided to leave the volleyball team and signed up for the swim team at the request of her water polo coaches wanting their water polo players to be better swimmers.

“She was great at swimming the butterfly,” said Christina Mendoza, an urban learning major. “She’s motivating. She never wants to see you give up.”

Mendoza was Orduno’s water polo teammate at Charter Oak and is also on the Citrus water polo team.

“She’s probably one of the most-strong willed, motivated athletes I’ve ever coached,” said Tim Kyle, Citrus  swim team coach. “She has a lot of heart and sets an example for the rest of the team.”

“I really like Tim Kyle as my coach,” Orduno said. “He always keeps me motivated to get better. He has this look that makes you want to try harder.”

Aside from sports, Orduno’s heart also belongs to drawing and surrounding herself with all things Disney.

“I’ve been drawing stuff since I was a little kid,” Orduno said. “Mom says I drew all the time. Sometimes it’s hard to get started, but once I get into it, it’s hard for me to stop. Time flies and I’m in my own world.”

Someday, Orduno hopes to turn her love for Disney animation into a career.

“I want to be a Disney animator some day,” Orduno said. “I’m a Disney freak for real. I love Disney, and I just want to be a part of it.”

Orduno has applied to the University of La Verne for an art scholarship, and is waiting for a reply.

Until it’s time for her to pick up her pencil and sketchpad and head to ULV, Orduno will continue to swim in the waters of Citrus College.

Catch Orduno and the rest of the swim team on campus on March 5, at 2:30 p.m., as they take on Santa Monica.