Last week, Bishop Kelly’s swim team had an amazing performance at their meet against Rocky Mountain High School and Borah High School, their last meet before their Invitational last Friday and Saturday, where everyone will swim for the varsity team and may have a shot at. Here are some of the highlights:
Chris Hoffman was surprised to be chosen to swim a 500 meter freestyle race, which means swimming ten laps of a normal pool length. He said that it would be “Easy”, and what he was more worried about was his other race, which was a 100 meter butterfly race. Butterfly is when a swimmer pushes him or herself out of the water, propelling themselves forward every stroke with a large amount of force, requiring lots of upper body strength, while doing a special kick to further propel their body. This stroke is dreaded by some swimmers (including myself) for being very physically demanding. Though Chris was not pleased at first to be swimming these two grueling races, (back-to-back!) he soldiered on, and took one for the team, making Bishop Kelly proud.
Another notable take, involving the 500 Freestyle race, was that of Jack Barbeau, who also swam it. According to Jack, he felt “very good” about the race. “I swam very hard, and after I finished, the adrenaline was still kicking, which gave me a lot of energy. Plus, coming in second made me very happy.” Jack Barbeau swims year-round, and loves to draw and play video games in his free time. He and many other kids on the swim team have other obligations they need to balance with swimming, but always come through for the meets when it matters the most. The BK swim team is a community in itself, and they always make sure everyone else feels included, and nobody feels left out. When asked about why he joined swim team, Jack had this to say:
“Everyone is very nice and encouraging. After anyone gets done with a race, everyone will congratulate them whether they’ve won or lost, whether you’ve added or removed from your best time.”
Bishop Kelly swim meets are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The feeling of anticipation leading up to a race, the vibe of the team keeping everyone afloat, literally and emotionally, it’s definitely worth a shot. And if swimming isn’t your thing, try coming to watch a meet! It’s always a fun experience, and a great way to get the blood pumping. It’s definitely worth a shot!
Photograph by Joan Wong
The Bishop Kelly Newspaper 