Ready to Race

Third Former Chris is a dedicated swimmer who, after six years of competitive swimming and a lifetime in the water, is now preparing for the challenge of Nationals. With discipline, a solid routine, and a passion for improvement, Chris expertly balances schoolwork, intense training, and aspirations of competing on the international stage. We sat down with Chris to learn more about what keeps him motivated and his ambitions for future swimming competitions.

What first got you into swimming, and how long have you been competing?

My whole family is really sporty, and I started swimming competitively about six years ago. I’ve been in the pool since I was very little.

What keeps you motivated to train and compete, even on tough days?

Music really helps to get me into the right mindset, and also having a lot of discipline. As much as being motivated is important, it’s the discipline that gets me into the pool.

How do you balance your schoolwork and training, especially with such a busy competition schedule?

Balancing schoolwork and training is really difficult, but having a routine helps me a lot. If I’m not swimming, I’m at the gym in the mornings to ensure I get varied exercise and stay fit. Fitting this around school and my studies is challenging, as there are only 24 hours in a day. However, I try to stay on top of my work rather than falling behind. I’m supposed to train seven times a week, but I aim for four sessions at my club pool and two at the School’s pool.

What is a piece of advice you would give to someone who is just starting out in competitive swimming?

I think my biggest piece of advice would be repetition and practice. Like anything, the more you work at something the better you get and more likely you are to improve.

Looking ahead, are there any upcoming competitions you’re excited about or specific events you aspire to participate in?

A competition that’s coming up soon is Arena League, which is a really tough and exciting competition because there are lots of clubs all over the country and you are competing with some of the best swimmers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do this last year because I broke my finger, so I’m eager to aim for it this year. Then after Nationals, I’ll try and aim for European competitions and then after that I’d really like to aim for GB.

How did you feel when you set a new PB in two of your events?

It’s a really good feeling. It shows that all my hard work in my training is paying off and I have something to show for it. It also means that I’m one step closer to higher levels.

From the recent competition you participated in, is there a particular race or moment that stands out as your favourite?

Definitely the 100m front crawl. Previously, I’ve not done well in this race, but this time, I was able to redeem myself by getting my best time which was amazing.

What is your favourite stroke?

The butterfly!

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