Impact of giving

When you’re competing at Maia’s level, there’s nothing easy about swimming.

“My alarm goes off at 4:45 am three days a week,” says Maia, a member of the UBC Thunderbirds Women’s Swimming Team. “I walk to the pool when it’s still dark and cold out. Sometimes practice hurts, but I know in the race it’s going to hurt, too.”

Maia has been swimming competitively since she was five years old, but it took a decade of intense training before she began to excel. 

“What I love about swimming is there’s a very clear correlation between how much effort you put in and what you get out.” 

Judging from her times in recent competitions, Maia’s effort has been paying off.

“Seeing your name number one when you finish a race - that’s the best feeling in the world,” she says.

Giving her all

Originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, Maia is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student at UBC Sauder.

Notably, she is the recipient of the UBC Sauder School of Business Swimming Award, a scholarship set up with the generous support of UBC Sauder alumnus Peter Antturi (BCom ’83).

“My scholarship helps me be a better student and a better athlete because I can focus on my swimming when I need to,” Brundage says. “And after swimming I can focus on school 100 per cent.”

Lessons in leadership

At UBC Sauder, Maia specializes in Operations Logistics and Marketing. As it turns out, her business education complements her athletic training nicely.

“We focus a lot on leadership and teamwork in our classes,” she says. “I find that very useful in swimming.”

She’s also found that some of the skills and knowledge she’s gained from her swimming career cross over to the business world.

“I’ve learned how to deal with losses,” she says. “And I’ve learned how to deal with success. I now know that success motivates me.”

Her experience as an elite athlete and scholar has inspired what she believes will be a lifelong passion for giving back to the community.

“The generosity of UBC Sauder donors allows us to pursue what we’re passionate about without having anything hold us back,” she says.

“It’s life-changing.”