Swimming is something that a lot of people enjoy doing during the summer to relax and cool off from the heat. While it is a fun activity for most, there is another group that sees it as a sport and a chance for competition. Colin Faulkner is in his senior year at Union High School and as a competitive swimmer, he says that he owes his achievements to his early introduction to the sport.
“Part of my success as a swimmer is definitely due to starting at a younger age,” Colin said. “It has helped me to fine-tune my skills as time goes on. Training for around nine years straight and making great efforts to apply myself during practice have been important to my development.”
Colin has made a lot of memories throughout his swimming career but he has one moment that stands out as his favorite, at least for now.
“The highlight moment of my career so far has been attending the state championships last year,” he said. “I placed fourteenth in the state in the 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle but I hope to surpass that at state this year.”
He has also enjoyed having a number of influences in his life that have helped him become the person that he is today.
“My biggest role models are mostly my parents,” he said. “They have always supported my choices and helped to keep me going. The teacher with the biggest impact on me is my tenth and eleventh-grade math teacher, Mrs. Peterson who helped to show me the importance of positivity.”
The teammates that he competes alongside in the pool have also played a big role in Faulkner’s growth as a swimmer.
“I always enjoy working with and against my teammate Bryce LaFollette,” Colin said. “He always helps to motivate me to go faster than him. The least appreciated players on the team are often the freshmen simply because they do not have enough training to participate in as many swim meets as others. While they may not be immediately as good as older teammates, they all possess great potential for later down the road.”
Along with swimming, Colin is also a member of the National Honor Society and also takes several AP classes.
