When you think of Good Counsel, you probably think about its great athletic program. GC has won over 70 WCAC titles in the last decade alone, and graduates have gone on to play at the highest level in both college and professional sports. GC is always among the best sports schools in the area, in part because of our tremendous student-athletes.
In this recurring segment, you will get to know some of the GC athletes who go out and represent our school in athletic events.
Today’s featured athlete is Chase Keeler ‘24, who is on the GC Swim and Dive team.
Chase recently committed to continue his swim career at the University of Massachusetts!
In this feature, Chase talks about how he got into swimming, his experiences swimming for his club team, and how swimming helped him gain perseverance and confidence both in and out of the pool.
Introduction:
When and why did you start swimming?
I started when I was about four. My older brother was on a summer team, so my mom eventually put me in too. I also loved being in the water, so that was another big part of it.
What events do you participate in?
High school doesn’t offer all of the same events that club swimming does. My best events are 200 backstroke and 400 IM. Those events don’t exist in high school, so I generally do 100 backstroke and 200 IM.
What’s your favorite part about swimming?
I would say the best part is the feeling you get when you accomplish one of your goals. Seeing all of the hard work pay off is always amazing.
Swim:
What has been your greatest challenge swimming- and how have you overcome it?
Mentality is often a hard part for me to overcome. Swimming requires a lot of mental fortitude, and putting a value on yourself based on a number can be hard to grasp for a lot of people. I’ve learned over the years how to help calm my nerves before a race, and that has helped a lot.
Do you swim outside of GC? If so, how is it to balance swimming for GC and your club team?
Yes, I’ve been swimming year-round for about 11 years for Rockville Montgomery Swim Club (RMSC). My club team definitely comes before high school swim, but sometimes my coach will allow me to miss practice for GC swim meets.
What’s your pregame hype song?
They’re always changing, but I would say some of my favorites are “Gotta Have It” by Kanye or “Family Ties” by Baby Keem.
School:
What’s your favorite class in school?
IB Sports Exercise is probably my favorite class right now. A lot of the content comes relatively easy to me, and we talk a lot about sports.
What are you interested in studying after high school?
I plan to study some type of engineering in college, most likely mechanical, aerospace, or biomedical engineering
How do you manage to participate in a sport and keep up with school?
It’s definitely not easy, but I’ve become better at managing my time as my schedule has continued to get harder. I set a lot of my time on weekends apart to get some of my work done.
When you’re not swimming, what do you like to do in your free time?
I rarely have free time, but I usually hang out with my friends or play golf when I do have free time.
Legacy:
Who would you say is/has been your biggest inspiration?
I would say my mom has been my biggest inspiration. She’s raised two boys on her own, which could not have been easy, and all of the hard work I do is for her because of how hard she works for me.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from swimming?
I’ve learned how to persevere through extremely difficult situations. I’ve been swimming eight times a week for a couple years straight now, and that has come with a lot of times where I’ve wanted to give up. I believe the dedication I’ve learned from swimming will help me in my future career.
How has swimming shaped you as a person?
It’s really helped me with my time management with other things like schoolwork. It’s also been a reason for me to work as hard as I do and to keep pushing.
What do you want your legacy to be at GC?
I really just want to leave the school and swim team better than it was when I got there.