Just as any other 7-year-old girl would, all Haleigh Marzano wanted to do as a child was to spend time with her best friend.

“When I was 7 [years old], my neighbor across the street – my best friend – started swimming,” Marzano said. “I was annoyed that I couldn’t hang out with her all the time anymore [due to her swim schedule] so I decided to hang out with her while swimming.”

Little did Marzano know, 12 years later she would be swimming at Lafayette College, a Division I school, shortly after graduating from Pascack Valley in 2019.

“[My neighbor] ended up quitting [swimming] but I stuck with it,” Marzano said. “Just like any other sport, it’s just something that helps you learn lessons.”

A sophomore at Lafayette, Haleigh is not the only member of her family to take swimming to the next level. Tyler Marzano, Haleigh’s brother, will be continuing his swimming career at Bentley University after he graduates from PV in June.

Even prior to taking his career to the collegiate level, Tyler Marzano has racked up accolades of his own.

Tyler reached Junior Nationals, which after being cancelled for the past three years will finally take place this year, allowing him to compete on a bigger stage.

“[Reaching nationals] was my first sign [that] I can actually go somewhere with [swimming],’” Tyler said.

The Marzano siblings aren’t just ‘there for each other’ figuratively; they even spend time practicing with one another.

“We do all of our workouts together, and [Haleigh] definitely pushes me to be better.” Tyler Marzano said.

Haleigh Marzano’s impact on her brother’s career goes further than just helping him practice – she is the primary reason he began swimming in the first place.

“I started [swimming] because Haleigh was a swimmer and my parents wanted me to do something active,” Tyler Marzano said. “So I went to a couple practices, and I got hooked from there.”

Swimming at such a high level, Haleigh Marzano has put in countless hours of practice. For many, this would be similar to a chore. For Marzano, it’s her passion.

“Swimming is something that I put myself into and I became very passionate about,” Haleigh Marzano said. “It just makes me happy, it brings me happiness and it’s not like I have to do this because, this is what is expected of me, it’s something else that adds to my happiness in life. It’s what gives me pride about myself.”

Both brother and sister have learned an immense amount from their parents. Their father, John Marzano, pushes his children to be the best swimmers they can be.

“Swimming has taught our kids many things,” John Marzano said. “You have to work hard for the things you want…you learn how to cope with failure.”

With morning practices that can range from 5:00 to 10:00, followed by nighttime practices that can range from 7:00 to 11:00, there is no doubt that the Marzano siblings have been committed to swimming over their careers.

“[Practicing all the time is] what you have to do if you want to be the best you can be,” Haleigh Marzano said. “You have to take the bad with the good.”

Enjoying swimming is a necessity to making such an extreme commitment, and it is safe to say that Haleigh Marzano’s love for the sport is always present – no matter how well she performs.

“No matter how bad or good you perform, you just have this great feeling inside that just makes you want to keep on [swimming].” Haleigh Marzano said.