(Pictured above: Aleksa Gold | Photo by Tiffany Luke)

Each Thursday, varsityblues.ca will highlight a U of T student-athlete and their academic pursuits. Each of these students achieved first class honours with an AGPA of at least 3.50 in the previous academic year.  These are our Student-Athlete Stories.

Whether it is representing the blue and white of the University of Toronto, or the blue, black and white of her Estonian roots, fifth-year swimmer, Aleksa Gold has always done everything in her power to live up to her own gold standard.

Whether paying homage to her family heritage or working tirelessly to be the best swimmer she can, the global health and environmental studies double major has always strived for success, while proudly reflecting the generations that preceded her.

That work ethic, along with her family pride, has already guided Gold to an incredible career in the pool, having won 26 OUA and U SPORTS medals, while also setting numerous Estonian records.

"Swimming at U of T has shown me that a great swimmer is not one with talent, but one who carries themselves with kindness, selflessness and positivity," Gold said. "We all do the same workouts and put in the same amount of effort but what separates the best from the rest is attitude, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to be with people who push me to be better every day."

"[Head coach] Byron [MacDonald] always says that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer so we all strive to fulfill that each and every day."



(Aleksa Gold with her brother Josh in Saaremaa, Estonia)

Her results have led to her having the opportunity to swim for Estonia at different international events. Most recently, she represented the eastern-European country at the 2022 FINA World Aquatic Championship in Budapest, Hungary, where she placed 15^th in the 200m backstroke. It's an honour that she does not take lightly.

"I am extremely proud of my Estonian roots and heritage," Gold said. "I grew up speaking Estonian and participating in Toronto Estonian events, such as Estonian school, Estonian Girl Guides, Estonian folk dance and choir, and went to Estonian camps in the Toronto area."
 
"I feel very connected to my Estonian heritage and am very proud to represent the country that my grandparents loved so dearly but which they were forced to leave."
 
Currently finishing what will likely be her final year of studying through U of T's New College, Gold is hoping to make a big splash on the academic side of her post-secondary experience.
 
Looking to combine her heritage with her experience of the University of Toronto, she is looking to initiate a U of T Estonian Student's Society.  
 
Having been a part of a university that hosts and welcomes so many different cultures for five years, the idea of an Estonian student's society is something the greatly excites the swimmer.
 
"It would mean keeping Estonian culture alive at the university," she said. "[A challenge within] our Toronto Estonian community faces is in regards to keeping the youth engaged in the culture."
 
"If there was a way to connect us all easily through membership in a club or student society, it would be very special and cool. Also, for students coming from Estonia, it could make their transition to a new country and school easier and more enjoyable."



(Gold (left), with Varsity Blues swimming coach, Linda Kiefer (centre) and former Blue, Kylie Masse (right))

As Gold looks to create this space for other current and future U of T students, she is still in the process of deciding where she'd like to see where the next path takes her following graduation.

Whether that path takes her to Estonia, where she lived for eight months in 2021 and again this past summer, or elsewhere, Gold will cross that bridge when she gets there. For now, her focus is on the present, as she looks to establish the student's society outside of the pool. While in the pool, she'll try to help the women's swim team to a second consecutive OUA and U SPORTS championships.  
 
No matter what happens though, her final year at U of T will wrap up a tremendous experience.

"Aside from a history of excellent academics and athletics, it is the low-key, low-stress, accepting and kind nature of everyone here who makes the university – and by extension the Varsity Blues family – very special and unique."