Ethan Clardy goes the distance.
As the Ernest Righetti High School graduate spends his summer before college in the pool, he is looking forward to what the future has in store and is grateful for the many years he has spent swimming.
So many years of practice and payoff have shaped Clardy into the swimmer he is today. He started taking swim lessons at the age of 4 years old, and joined the swim team when he was only 6.
“I’ve been on this swim team for 12 years,” he said. “I like all the friends I have made because we’ve watched each other grow throughout the years.”
After spending hundreds of hours swimming in such a competitive and close-knit environment with his teammates, Clardy and the rest of the group have become much like a family.
The swimmer prides himself most in his ability to swim consistently for long durations of time. As a distance swimmer, he excels in the mile, 500-yard, and 1,000-yard events.
“I’m a distance person,” he said. “I’m most proud of myself when I drop the most time.”
But like all dedicated athletes, Clardy has overcome obstacles in order to continue to practice his sport and stay competitive.
“Last year during ‘dryland’ [exercises that take place on the pool deck], I dislocated my knee. I couldn’t swim for six months,” he explained. “It was so frustrating not being able to use my leg.”
During this time, Clardy might not have been able to swim, but that didn’t keep him away from the pool. He kept up with practices by doing arm-only sets, such as pulling using a leg buoy.
“Once I recovered, I got back to where I was. The only time I wasn’t in the water was a few days after dislocating my knee and after the surgery,” he said.
Soon the athlete will be competing in the upcoming Western Zones, which is a senior-level meet put on by USA Swimming. He’s looking forward to relays with his teammates, having fun, and swimming more distance events.
He hopes that Allan Hancock College, where he plans to attend school in the fall, will provide a starting block for his collegiate swimming career. He hopes to swim at a Division II or Division III university after getting his diploma from Hancock.
This article appears in Jul 3-10, 2014.