Looking back on the year that was for former IUPUI student-athlete Alexus Laird, 2016 was a sprawling collection of accomplishments, historical achievements and memories that usually only manifest themselves as fantasies to most people.  To say that 2016 was the kind of year that dreams are made of would be entirely appropriate, as the record-holding Laird endured a world tour that connected the Kokomo, Indiana-native with friends, family and unprecedented success in the pool throughout the globe.
 
The last time we caught up with Laird, she was in her final preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, set to represent the Seychelles as one of just 10 Olympians from the small country.  For many, including Laird, the Olympics were somewhat expected to be a closing act on a storied career.  As the opportunity to swim against the world's elite in the most coveted competition known to man only comes once every four years, Laird didn't expect to continue swimming past 2016.
 
But, the success just kept coming.  And Laird just kept getting better. 
 
It's hard to imagine that a three-time IUPUI record-holder, a three-time gold medal winner at the Indian Ocean Games, and a national record holder in the 100 Backstroke for the Seychelles is improving based on her decorated past.  Yet, with every turn of the page on the calendar, Laird has continued to bolster her reputation as not just one of the greatest swimmers to represent IUPUI, but one of the greatest student-athletes to compete in the city of Indianapolis. 
 
After her strong showing in Rio, Laird went on to compete in the 2016 CANA African Swimming Championships.  Acting as the lone representative for the Seychelles in the games, Laird single-handedly delivered her country a fourth-place finish.  The masterful backstroke specialist picked up four medals at the games; one gold, one silver, and two bronze.  She came just .01 seconds shy of claiming a silver medal in the women's 50 Free, far from her strongest event, yet a demonstration of her pure ability in the pool. 
 
Laird followed her Africa trip with a trek north to Canada, where she took part in multiple events at the 2016 FINA World Swimming Championships in December.  Her continued efforts and forward progress brought Laird to January, when the Seychelles released the top-10 nominees for the 2016 Sports Awards Female Athlete of the Year.  Laird was listed as a finalist amongst athletes representing six different sports, all of whom were highly decorated in their respective areas of competition.  And, as she had done already many times in her career, Laird found a way to stand out.
 
As the evening of January 20th came, Laird was announced as the winner of the 2016 Female Athlete of the Year, earning the award for her accomplishments on the national stage.
 
"Winning sports woman of the year is such a huge accomplishment for me, considering I was amongst so many deserving ladies," Laird said of her award via social media.  "I know each one of us has put countless hours of work into our respective sports and being chosen is such an honor."
 
Appropriately so, Laird was not in attendance to accept the award.  She was elsewhere training, gearing up for an even better run in 2017 and beyond.
 
Having just taken part in the Grand Prix in Durban, South Africa this past weekend, Laird is looking forward to April, in which the proven champion will swim in the South African Nationals.  She'll follow that by joining the Mare Nostrum, a group of competitions that take place in locations such as Monaco, Barcelona and Canet in June.  Another chance to shine on the national stage, Laird will then participate in the World Championships, set to begin in July.  Her intent, when the heavy schedule is behind her, will be to pick up a schedule for August until April of 2018.  Her focus will be to ready for the Commonwealth Games, hosted in Gold Coast, Australia next year.  The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport international event, taking place every four years in a manner similar to the Olympics.
 
With every continued bit of success Laird experiences, she opens another door that allows her to paddle deeper into her continued career.  It's almost comical when reflecting on the time spent with Laird just before her adventure in Rio, as she talked about 2016 as if it were a closing act.  She wanted to update her resume, find an internship, and settle into a role in a professional industry.  Yet, her successes continue to generate support, and that support continues to fuel her swimming dreams.
 
"I am extremely proud of Lexi and what she has been able to accomplish," IUPUI Swimming Head Coach Matt Bos said.  "Lexi put in a great deal of work over the past six years and has improved a tremendous amount.  She continues to find ways to stay motivated and continue doing something that she loves."
 
And that is exactly what it derives from.  Love.  The love she has for a journey that began so long ago.  The love she receives from her strong support system of family and friends.  The love of competition and the demand for the best from herself.  The love of every new turn her path brings her to.  And the love of not just having a dream, but living it. 
 
"2016 was a really big year for Lexi," IUPUI Assistant Swimming Coach Caitlin Hamilton said.  "I admire how much time, dedication, and effort she has put into swimming throughout her time at IUPUI and in her post-graduate career.  It'll be fun to see what is in store for her next."
 
It'll be fun indeed to watch the blossoming Kokomo kid.  As she continues to make her way across the globe and find success in places few of her peers will ever see, Laird continues to be an inspiration and living proof that dreams will always be worth chasing.  While so many times, the world finds a way to tell us we can't make a living doing what we love, you must ask yourself… "Are you really living by not doing it?"
 
Laird, undoubtedly, is alive and well.