Iain McCarthy '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Iain McCarthy and I am 17 years old. I started swimming with a rec team at the age of 9 and became a competitive swimmer at the age of 11, but I’ve loved the water since I was born.

I started high school the fall of 2019 and, sadly, only got a partial swim season in with my high school team before Covid-19 ended the season prematurely and then shortened the season my sophomore year as the nation continued to deal with the impact. My junior year was my first full high school season and I made it to the San Joaquin section finals. I'm hopeful and excited about continuing my growth as a swimmer and improving over the course of my senior year high school and club career so I can become a college swimmer and athlete. I currently swim with the Merced Skimmers in California. I am a committed athlete and work hard to improve my skills, technique and speed in the water. 

I have already finished eight college courses and will take another full course load AP classes my senior year. Even while in quarantine for a year and a half I did not let my training lapse. I worked out 4-6 days a week doing backyard tethered swim workouts in the pool, then eventually started using a full-size pool at a local gym for workouts prepared by my club coach. My team has been back in the water (since November 2020) and I have worked hard to make up for lost time. I workout with a trainer twice a week to stay strong. I've learned to balance a busy schedule, including a forty-five minute drive from home to swim practice (and back) each day, early morning dryland training twice weekly, college courses over summer and during the school year in tandem with a full academic high school load, all while still making time to play with my dogs, play piano daily, attend piano lessons, read, and play video games. I work hard in the pool and continue to learn how to balance being an athlete with my responsibilities as a student. 

I know I have a lot to learn and a lot of hard work ahead to reach my dreams of becoming a college athlete and Olympic swimmer, but I am ready to do what it takes and know that with the support and love from my parents and coaches, I can get there.

Here is a link to the YouTube videos of many swim races: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9oQkdBbehDfjmn_kSXcjlL1rzAXcFChc