Personal Statement

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read my personal statement. My name is Dimitrije Galic and as a young child growing up in Canada, I was immediately drawn to Water Polo. From the moment I jumped into the water polo pool, at five years old, I knew this was the sport I wanted to be the best at. Since then, I have dedicated countless hours to honing my skills and mastering the techniques necessary to succeed at the highest levels of the sport.

I have been practicing since 2012 and competing at local, provincial, and national levels - I am now (in 2023) able to play all 6 positions. My previous experience, when continually being invited to up-play with older divisions, helped me build physical strength, endurance, and mental toughness which carved me as a player to play the game differently than my opponents. 

With an average of 6 goals, 8 assists, and 4 steals a game, I am frequently leading my team in goals generated (average of 45%), as well as being a defensive anchor, being able to guard all 6 positions. 

In the 22/23 season,  I competed with the u/18 team, in which we achieved the national championship, going undefeated in the whole country (while beating the favorites to win in the finals), and competed with the u/16 team to win gold at the regional tournament, as well as being the 9th best scorer in Portugal for the u/16 age group. In the current 23/24 season, so far, I have been called up to play for Sporting Portugal's senior men's B team.

Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to have been trained by some of the best coaches in the world, including those who were players and coaches of the Canadian National and Olympic Men's Water Polo teams, and of the Serbia Men's National and Olympic water polo teams, such as: 

1)  Brian Parillo: 

• Assistant Coach (10 years) - Canadian Men's National Team 

• 3 FINA World Aquatic Championship

• Coach - Canadian Junior Men's squads, Gold Medal at the Pan American Championships

• Coach - 12 National title-winning teams, Dollard Water Polo Club

2)  Dragan Jovanovic: 

• Head Coach - Canadian Senior Men's Olympic Water Polo Team 

• Goalie - Serbian Men's National and Olympic Water polo team

• President & CEO of DJ Global Wave Inc. 

• Executive Director, World Water Polo Coaches Association

• President of California's Imperial Water polo club. 

3) Nikola Radjen: 

• 5 gold medals at the FINA world league

• 2 gold medals in the European Championship

• 1 gold medal in the Mediterranean Games event

• 1 gold medal in the FISU World University Games 

• 2 bronze medals in the Olympics

• As well, during summer breaks I have been practicing with one of Montenegro’s top water polo teams, PVK Jadran (1st place seven times from 2009-2017 in the Montenegrin First League; Team of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, which was awarded by the Montenegrin Olympic Committee)

Born and raised in Canada, since 2012 I have been playing for Calgary Wild Water polo and Calgary Torpedoes Water Polo. My coaches would always put me to up-ply with an older group, to help me to excel in my game. I was frequently playing with U16 teams as a 13-year-old, which helped me build a much more mature mentality toward the game as a young kid. It also forced me to build my strategic thinking while getting stronger, in order to compete with the older kids. This helped me tremendously, allowing me to become a major force in my age group, and helping my team achieve many wins and championships in various regional and provincial tournaments. Always playing in two different age groups also helped me develop quite strong and excellent sportsmanlike characteristics 

In September 2021 my family moved to Portugal and I am currently playing with Sporting Portugal, where I have continued to develop my skills and push myself to new levels. I am actively training with members of the Portuguese National and Olympic team, and am very grateful for their mentorship and advice. We are currently the first seed in our region and are heading to advance to the National Championship, and go for gold. 

My academic upbringing started very early when I was offered a place at the Westmount Charter School, the only school in North America that offers an “inside-out” educational approach. Along the way, I started playing piano and had concerts when I performed as a pianist. At one of the Christmas Concerts, I was asked by a professor to be the Master of Ceremony, which I accepted and fully enjoyed as I love and enjoy public speaking, I also played the trumpet for the school band, in which we achieved 2nd place in the regional competition, and am currently learning the guitar.

My passion for learning and exploration continued as I was accepted into the STEM Innovation Academy in 2021. However, my family moved to Lisbon and I had to leave the academy behind. Undeterred, I enrolled in the IGCSE program at the PaRK International School, where I have continued to challenge myself academically and pursue my interests in science and technology by requesting to uplevel to triple Science. I am planning to enroll in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.

Throughout my educational journey, I have learned the importance of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Whether it's mastering a new chess strategy or conducting a scientific experiment, I have always been willing to put in the time and effort necessary to achieve my goals.

I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given thus far, and I am excited about the future. With my unique combination of athletic and academic abilities, I am confident that I can make a positive impact both in and out of the pool. 

Humanitarianism is very important to me, I have been volunteering at the Calgary International Film Festival (Youth program) and the Lilac Festival for a number of years. Specifically at Lilac fest, for 4 years in a row, I have been volunteering as a street busker – offering my free paintings and drawing for a donation, which I collect for kids affected by floods and poverty. I have been helping orphanage kids by fundraising at Christmas parties and purchasing basic needs for the kids, and spending an afternoon in the orphanage with a group of boys my age (2015).

My experience in water polo has taught me valuable skills that will serve me well in all aspects of my life. From teamwork to leadership, I am confident I have what it takes to succeed at the Collegiate level. I am excited about the opportunity to continue pursuing my passion for water polo while also excelling academically, and I thank you for your consideration.