After numerous hours of training, practice, and dedication, Galileo senior Kenny T. has done what no Galileo swimmer has done in 10 years: he qualified for the state championship in the 50-yard freestyle event.
Kenny qualified by swimming the 50-yard freestyle with a personal best of 22.23 seconds in the All City finals, which was 1.2 seconds faster than second place. “I was shaking and wobbling on the block before it started, but I expected the win,” Kenny said. “After winning the race, I was elated because I won. It felt great to represent Galileo because no one has qualified for states in a decade. My excitement was short-lived, though, because I had to immediately warm down and prepare for my next race in 5 minutes.”
In order to reach this achievement, Kenny worked tirelessly during a multitude of practices that began the previous summer. “I began practicing during the summer of 2024 at Rossi Pool,” he reflected. “During the school year, I went to practice after school four days a week. When my coach was out of town, I would go practice at Pacifica. I knew what I wanted and had to at least give it my all for it.”
As for the motivation that has grounded Kenny, he has many people to thank and credit. He said, “I wanted to thank my club teammates, who have been with me the whole way. They will be going to states with me. I would also like to give a shoutout to Alvin Chan, my training partner who consistently encouraged me to go to practice on days I didn’t want to go.”
Originally, Kenny entered the swim season with hopes of qualifying for the 100-meter butterfly, not the 50 freestyle. “Some things happened during the season that opened up the event for me, and I took it,” said Kenny. He jokingly continued, “I swam like a boss, I had people asking me not to swim the 50 free because I was a threat.”
Following the first-place win in the 50-yard freestyle at All-City Finals, Kenny also swam the 100-yard butterfly. The race ended with a bittersweet result for Kenny as he placed second by a second. “It definitely hurts,” he admitted. “The 100 fly is an event I enjoyed and wanted to win. But because it was so close to the 50 free, I swam it back-to-back and was just too tired. It sucks, but I gotta be happy that I got states for at least one of the events.”
