Florida State freshman, Edith Jernstedt, from Vasteras, Sweden, has been swimming ever since she can remember. Her journey to Florida State will also be an adventure she will never forget. Winning five gold medals at the Swedish Nationals and 29 gold medals at the Junior Swedish Nationals over her career, Jernstedt always showed strong athletic abilities and determination. It was important to her to continue her swimming career, but to also further her education. The choice of moving thousands of miles away from home seemed intimidating, but once Jernstedt arrived at Florida State, she felt right at home. “Moving to America was pretty big for me. I chose Florida State because of the team spirit. The coaches were so nice and welcoming, I just felt like they really cared,” said Jernstedt. While her dream of being a Nole came true, Jernstedt’s journey to get here was not an easy one. For the past two and a half years, Jernstedt has faced many shoulder injuries, often leaving her una
“People call it the invisible illness. People look at me and see I’m always cheerful, and you would not know what I deal with,” said Florida State Women’s Basketball player Tiana England, who will be one of five Seminoles honored during Senior Night vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech on Thursday. England, a graduate transfer, was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, commonly referred to as POTS, in August 2021. Her journey to get a diagnosis was not an easy one - it took over 15 years for England and her family to get answers. Symptoms started to appear when England was only six years old. After fainting at school and fracturing her jaw, England’s doctor told her she was dehydrated. Despite excruciating headaches every day, dizziness, blurry vision, fatigue, increased heart rate, and fainting spells, England pushed through without answers from doctors. England had a successful basketball career at St. John’s and was one of the nation’s leaders in career assists
Florida State swimmers Jaden and Mason Herbet share a bond that goes far beyond being teammates. Along with being teammates, they are fraternal twins. From Winter Park, Florida, Jaden and Mason recall watching the Summer Olympics when they were just little kids and they both immediately knew they wanted to be like those athletes one day.
“When we were nine or ten our parents put us in a summer program at a pool near our house. That was our first introduction into the swimming world,” explained Mason. “We did the summer program for a while. They moved us up to the club team and we stayed with them up until we graduated high school. Swimming was the sport that was always there.”
Jaden and Mason never questioned going to the same university or being on the same team. “We’ve always been in the same classes, I think it would’ve been really weird to not be together. We’ve been on the same team together our whole life,” Jaden said.
The Herbet’s speak with the utmo
Victoria Cervantes was not entirely sure on where she wanted to attend college, but she did know that being challenged as an athlete and student were very important to her. Florida State turned out to be the perfect opportunity for Cervantes to succeed as a student-athlete.
“I chose FSU because I really like the team atmosphere and my coach. The academic area is really good as well, so it is a great balance between academics and diving,” said the freshman diver with a shining smile.
Cervantes started diving at nine years old and was in love with the sport ever since. “I have support from everyone and have amazing friends, which end up being family. I love the adrenaline of flips, of course I get scared, but it’s a nice feeling. I love going to practice and spending time with my friends,” Cervantes said.
While this is Cervantes’ first year as a diver on FSU’s swimming and diving team, she is no stranger to hard work and fierce competition. From Guadalajara, Mexico
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com) - Her journey to get to Florida State has not been an easy one, but senior defensive specialist Caroline Golden has always stood firm on her dreams.
One of those dreams was to make it to the highest level of collegiate volleyball. Her story is one of perseverance, faith and some big-time resilience. And now that she’s landed at Florida State, she has learned to soak up every moment.
“Being a Nole means a lot because you represent something bigger than yourself. It’s just a legendary place,” Golden said.