Lara Teixeira named 2021 USA Artistic Swimming Employee of the Year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Lara Teixeira has been selected as the 2021 USA Artistic Swimming Employee of the Year. As the staff grows larger with the goal of better serving membership, this is the first year the award has been given to recognize an employee that has gone above and beyond to contribute to our organization. In serving a dual-role as both a national team Assistant Coach and High Performance Manager, Lara helped the team navigate numerous Olympic qualifier postponements, challenging COVID-19 travel and testing logistics, securing pool time and locations in a pandemic, preparation for the first-ever Junior Pan American Games and much more. Her job description has broadened as she has stepped in to do whatever necessary for the national teams to be successful. Teixeira did this all while experiencing her first pregnancy, as she will be celebrating this achievement with her newborn baby due in early December. 

“We have an amazing staff at USA Artistic Swimming and many are worthy of this accolade. However, Lara truly embodies our 'We Move As One’ slogan. She is willing to accept every challenge and adjust her role to fit the needs of other staff members and our athletes. Lara embraces the idea that all the little things are what make the big things happen. I am very happy to celebrate her hard work and dedication,” USA Artistic Swimming CEO Adam Andrasko said. 

“I am very honored to receive this award among so many talented, competent and hard-working people in our organization. I would like to thank Adam for the recognition and the rest of our staff for all their kind words of congratulations,” Lara said. “The Olympic year was very challenging with a lot of pressure but working with the best staff in the world made it easier and motivated me to go above and beyond. This is just the start! My personal ambition as well as the organization’s is to see the USA national team shine again on the podium.”