Braedon Kunz is the team captain of the varsity boys’ swim team. Below, he shares his experiences, motivations, and advice about being part of the swim program.

1. What got you interested in joining the swim team?

I had done swim for almost my whole life, and I knew I loved it, so it kind of came natural to me. I started coming to lifting in the beginning of the school year and I started to meet people and quickly realized I was locked in.

2. What is your main event, and why do you like it?

My main event is the 200 Yard Freestyle. I like it a lot because of how challenging it truly is. The event is longer than a sprint, but it isn’t quite distance, so it is interesting and fun to play with and create different strategies on how to race it every time.

3. How do you stay motivated during tough practices?

The big thing that keeps us motivated is each other. We are all going through the same practice, so it makes it a little more fun when you’re doing it with your best friends. The other big motivator is knowing the payoff. We know that when we work hard, our results will be seen in the pool.

4. What has been your favorite meet or moment this season?

My favorite meet this season would probably be the Neuqua Valley Meet because the whole team together swam an amazing meet and I was so proud of everyone showing what they were made of and proving we had a shot to be a force to be reckoned with.

5. How do you balance schoolwork with swimming?

Balancing schoolwork with any sport is really difficult. I have learned to take advantage of every moment during the day that I can so that when I get home and am exhausted after practice, I can recover and do as little homework as possible.

6. What is something people don’t realize about being on the swim team?

It is a very mentally taxing sport. There are a lot of times throughout the regular season where you may not improve right away and that is frustrating because you are putting yourself through so much physical pain that you feel like you should be better than you are, however, we have to see the light at the end of the tunnel and when we taper off and practices get a little easier before the big sectionals meet, we know we will be 100% rested and ready to go and swim some magical races at that meet.

7. What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining swimming?

I would say give it a shot. You will form relationships with some of the best people there is and those are friendships I will have for the rest of my life. It will not be easy but, the fact that it is difficult makes it all better because it teaches hard work, dedication, and discipline.