During her four years at Branford High School Alesha achieved many personal honors including All-American, All-State and All-Area but she was best known as a team player who helped the Girl’s Swim Team win three state championships in 1998, 2000, and in 2001 when she was captain. It is fitting that she is being inducted tonight when the 1998 and 2000 state championship teams are being honored. Alesha joins Erika Newell and Veronica Ormrod as the third member of the 98 and 2000 state championship teams to be inducted into the Branford Sports HOF.
Alesha earned All-State honors all four years at Branford but none was more important than the 2000 Class M State Championship meet where every point mattered as Branford won by just 10 points over powerhouse New Canaan. In this meet Alesha scored 41 points in her two individual events, the 100 yd butterfly and 500 yd freestyle and was a member of two Branford relays that scored another 90 points. The 200 Medley Relay not only won their event but also set a new State Class M record and Branford School record and earned All-American honors.
Alesha graduated from Branford in 2002 in the top ten of her class, was captain of the 2001 State Championship Team, received the CT Swimming Scholar Award, the Hugh O’Brien Leadership Award, Trinity Book Award, named to Who’s Who in Sports, top ten all time in individual events at Branford, Student Council Vice President, National Honor Society, 2001 Swim team MVP and for her senior project created the “Swim For The Cure” event where she swam from the Stony Creek Dock to Outer Island and back and personally raised $2,500 for breast cancer research.
Alesha began competitive swimming as a four-year-old at the Pine Orchard YCC where she swam summers, then competed winters for the Branford Stingrays, Branford HS, and completed her competitive swimming career at Boston College. Along the way, she was coached by Branford Hall of Fame coaches John O’Connor, George Miles, Rich Thompson, and Sue Lecza along with coach motivator Cliff Johnson. During college, she participated in the “Best Buddies“ Program, hosted prospective nursing candidates, was the Nursing Senate Treasurer, and volunteered at CT Hospice and Evergreen Woods.
Since graduating from Boston College School of Nursing with honors in 2006, Alesha has worked as a registered nurse in Connecticut and is currently working as a visiting nurse. Alesha has also participated in numerous benefit road races and was a top 6 overall female finisher in both the 2005 and 2007 Branford Road Race.
Alesha is married to Mark Bello and today their time is devoted to raising their two adorable daughters Bliss and Dream. Alesha has been successful in so many areas but she considers being a mother to be her most important accomplishment of all. Today she is involved in the Cox School PTO and volunteers as the school store manager and sprintwear coordinator. Alesha is the proud daughter of Andy and Denise Amendola of Branford. Her sister Brittany, was an outstanding diver for Branford High on the 01, 02, 03, and 04 state championship teams and now lives in New York.
The Branford Sports Hall Of Fame welcomes Alesha Amendola Bello as a worthy member of the 2023 induction class.
