Sleep is a luxury for Latroya Pina.
It's one reason she enjoyed her 15-hour flight from Qatar back to Washington, D.C., following her performance in the Swimming World Championships. The super busy Pina could finally rest for a bit. She cherished those quiet moments at 30,000 feet.
Of course, when Pina landed, it was back to the grind—swim training in the pre-dawn hours with the roosters. She works as an academic counselor for the Howard University athletics department during the day, assisting with tutoring and class selection for the bowling, tennis, and swimming programs. She is studying to finish her doctoral program in biology at night.
As an elite swimmer who recently represented her country of Cape Verde, Africa, in the World Championships, Pina has bigger goals and a full plate. The affable Pina wouldn't have it any other way.
"Once I complete my doctoral program, it's off to medical school," Pina said. "I know, more school, right? I want to be an M.D. and do research. Since freshman year, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I enjoy helping others. Plus, there's not many Black physicians, and I want to be one of them."
Pina's passion for assisting others and seeing them succeed generates enthusiasm for Howard's mission. Her sparkling smile lights up Howard's athletics department. Pina is happy working at her alma mater. After graduating from Howard in 2019, Pina was a teacher's assistant. She also taught biology and animal physiology courses.
"It's exciting to be back here because Howard has helped me grow in so many ways," Pina said. "Now, I can do the same thing for the current student-athletes here and help them grow into the most successful person they can be by mentoring them. They must understand that academics are beneficial once your sport is finished, and they can do anything."
Pina thought she would be a gymnast until her mom signed her up at the East Providence Boys and Girls Club when she was five. Pina quickly adapted to the pool and climbed the club circuit to the Gator Swim Club and Seekonk High before being recruited to Howard after graduating in 2015.
As Pina started to excel in the pool, others noticed, including those in her home country of Cape Verde, Africa, a nine-island archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean on the northwest coast near the equator. However, it was a strange exchange, resembling the email scams of royal figures requesting large sums of money. Despite being surrounded by water, Cape Verde has one swimming pool and another that is close to being finished.
Naturally, Pina was skeptical.
"It was a little sketchy at first," Pina recalled. "They contacted us by Facebook, but because they had family there, it was easy to check out the individuals and who they said they were. One thing
led to the next, and now I am representing my country internationally. It was easy to prove my citizenship since my mom is from Cape Verde. "
Pina was born in Rhode Island and moved to Massachusetts when she was 12; she represented Cape Verde at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships held in Gwangju, South Korea, where she competed in the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle events. Even more special was her opportunity to swim on the global stage with her siblings, Troy and Jayla. Despite her hectic schedule, Pina loves her family and enjoys every opportunity to spend time with them.
While Pina is competitive and has high standards, she also understands the bigger picture for future generations of swimmers from Cape Verde who aspire to follow in her footsteps. So, while she wanted to swim faster at the World Aquatics Championships, she understood that she won just by representing her country and, more importantly, Howard.
"My first race was rough," Pina said. "I had less than 24 hours from when I landed to my first race. The time difference played a role. My second race was better, and I was happy with how I swam. Overall, swimming in the Olympics was an unreal experience. It was my first experience there. It meant a lot to me, and being on the world stage was exciting. We are growing as a country and getting our names out there.
"It's exciting to give kids in our country an opportunity to see what's possible. They have many opportunities to excel, and I am excited to see where it will go and how the sport will continue to grow in our country."
Pina may make juggling training, working, and studying look easy, but she's realistic about how she can create magic.
"It's challenging and not the easiest thing on Earth to do," Pina said. "I am stressed at times, and some things are lacking, but I go back to time management, which greatly helps. I always put my school first. If you want to do it, you make time for it."
Pina's impact has resonated with many since she arrived on Howard's sacred campus in 2015. When they first met, Howard's senior associate athletic director for student-athlete support services, Paul Bowden, noticed something special about Pina. Pina willingly played lacrosse for Howard when it needed players. Once she graduated, Bowden knew that Pina would be a home run hire.
"I needed somebody who knew Howard, so I decided to hire her as an academic advisor, and it's been great because she provides so many resources for our student-athletes as far as what it means to be a Howard student," Bowden said. "She's committed to not only herself but bettering herself for the community she decides to be a part of, and now it's the Howard community. With her compassion, empathy, and sympathy, I think she will be a great doctor."
Rob Knox is an award-winning professional. A member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Athletics Hall of Fame, Knox currently serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times.
