Swimming has always been a big part of my life; when I was 2 weeks old I took my first dip in a pool, when I was 7 I joined Kodiak Kingfishers swim club, and now at 18 I just committed to swim for Simon Fraser University’s DII NCAA team (which sometimes makes me wonder why on earth I decided to keep swimming). Swimming for me is a lot more than just training and racing, it’s the hard work and dedication, the motivating competition, the second family you form with your teammates and coach. In the end, it’s the road trips and the stupid pranks I remember, not the grueling morning practices. Kodiak swimming has done all of this for me and almost everyone who has participated in this program, and most of that is all thanks to my coach. So in honor of his retirement from coaching, I compiled this video to show the huge impact he’s had on the Kodiak swim program and the kids he’s coached.

It shows a bit of everything: some swimmers from Coach’s first year with Kodiak swimming and some from his last, some swimmers reminiscing on fun times with the team and some with a brutal 200s set fresh on their mind trying to think of something positive to say. While it doesn’t come close to showing everyone who’s been a part of Coach John’s team, it gives a sense of the family he’s created through Kodiak swimming.