- May 2019
Personal Statement
Zachary Alexander Carey
2524 Rainford Road, Florence, S.C. 29501
(843) 601-0756
My parents have always focused me on knowing who I am and where I want to go as a person. They have taught me that there will always be challenges in life and overcoming them is never easy. Nevertheless, they have taught me to realize this, never give up, and persevere.
I have known how to swim since I was three-years old, but my only competitive experience was with my private school starting in eight-grade. We swam against other private and public schools in South Carolina for about two months a year. But, in October 2018, I won the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) 100-yard butterfly championship in Augusta, GA in 55.93. I then realized how good I could be both as a leader and an athlete.
So, I decided to start swimming year-round for our local USA swimming team – the McLeod Racing Club (MRC). My challenge was and still is, how to swim faster than everyone else? I have worked on my form, trained hard, and raced as fast as I can. In April 2019, I qualified for Carolina Crown in Charlotte, won the B final for the 100-meter freestyle and finished fifth overall. It was the first time I had ever been in a 50-meter swimming pool!
My high school senior season just wrapped up with the SCISA state swimming championships in Augusta, GA. on October 19th. At the state meet, I set a state record in the 100-yard butterfly in 51.68 and won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:00.67 just shy of that state record. I also anchored our winning 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays with splits of 20.92 and 46.17. In the latter, I came from over three body lengths behind to win the race for my team! All four were best times for SCISA swimming this year.
I had a great season winning all 22 individual event I swam in our SCISA and public-school swimming meets. In addition to the state championship times, I had the best times in the 100 and 200-yard freestyles and 200-yard individual medley, second in the 100-yard backstroke, and third in the 50 and 500-yard freestyles. My times are Trinity-Byrnes school records in all individual events.
I am looking forward to the USA short-course season, making future cuts, and becoming an All American while still in high school. Next fall, I will be off to college to pursue a bachelor’s degree and hopefully swim on a Division I team. Only time will tell where I will go and how good I will become as a swimmer! A good pool and competition will be a real help!! Will keep you informed!!!
