Athlete of the week is Sewanhaka's Chan
Getting ready to emerge in the last 25 yards of the girls 100 Yd. Freestyle is Sewanhaka's Olivia Chan in a fast first-place time of 54.39. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Olivia Chan
Sewanhaka swimming
Sewanhaka's Olivia Chan doesn't set her sights small. She wants to swim her way into the Olympic Trials someday.
For now, the sophomore has qualified for the state meet in two events: the 100 freestyle (53.99 seconds), and the 200 individual medley (2:09.90) - her favorite event. These feats have earned her Newsday's Athlete of the Week honor.
Chan first jumped into a pool at age 5, and began swimming competitively on a team when she was 8. Her success in the water has not come easily. She's sacrificed a lot to get where she is.
"I have practice every other morning before school and then after school, training and dry lands to keep in shape," Chan said. "Then you have to watch that you get the right amount of rest and eat a good diet."
It's not just training and keeping herself in shape. There's high school and, well, just being a teenager. Chan talks about the balance and while it's difficult, it's something she's been dealing with since elementary school, so she's well-rehearsed in meticulous time management.
"Sometimes I have to stay up later, or give up doing something with friends and focus on what I want now," Chan said. "Usually it's just a matter of planning everything so you get the most important schoolwork done."
Swimming is a sport that fosters a team camaraderie as well as individual accomplishments. Chan sees it as one of the reasons the sport is so appealing.
"When you swim, and you win a race, you swim for yourself," Chan said. "Really, it's with all the people you train with. You're trying to win together as a team. You motivate each other as a team. It's a team made up of individuals."
Chan won't swim without her favorite goggles. While she hasn't had these particular goggles for a long time, she swam well with them during her first race of the season, and decided she was going to keep using the same ones.
"They're pink, like the color of our team. I had a good start in these goggles. I'm going to end the season in these goggles," Chan said.
Chan plans on staying in the pool for her entire life. While college is still a couple of years away, she says swimming will always be on her agenda.
"My life would never be the same if I didn't swim," she said. "I'll be swimming for my whole life."
