Clary greeted the young students and shared that he has done nearly 200 swimming clinics in his career, and his swimming career has spanned 20 years. In his youth, he would listen and watch Olympic swimmers at similar camps. He hopes to inspire children to swim faster than he did at ages 11 or 12. As a kid, he had found it “amazing” to learn from people that are at the top of their game in aquatics. With swim clinics, the opportunity to hold and wear an Olympic medal makes it authentic for aspiring athletes.
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist backstroker noted that there are 26 million swimmers in the United States alone, and while the chances of making it to the Olympic Games may be slim that should not discourage people for setting such goals. Clary underscored the power of “self-belief.”
Brett Hawke
Former competitive Australian swimmer and Olympic coach Brett Hawke praised the sport of swimming for bringing him where he is today. He started swimming at the age of 11 since he was suffering from asthma so his parents enrolled him in swimming to help strengthen his lungs.
In doing so, swimming helped boost Hawke’s confidence and strength; moreover, he described it as “very fortunate” to be doing this as a career.
Hawke competed at the 2000 Olympic Games in his native Sydney, Australia, and the subsequent Olympics in Athens, Greece. He went on to coach Olympians that competed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic Games respectively.
Coach Mike Murray
Coach Mike Murray of Islanders High Performance Lessons was also present at this swimming clinic at Stony Brook University. Murray praised swimming for being a “vehicle that creates success for you no matter what you do.” He added that swimming teaches you to be “really passionate” about things.
Clary went on to coach the children butterfly and the underwater dolphin kick technique. He started with warm-ups with the children and taught them to streamline.
The Verdict
Overall, “Fitter and Faster” clinicians Tyler Clary and Brett Hawke had the young swimmers engaged with them every step of the way. They were able to share some of their secrets and tips that they learned in their careers such as “angles” and the fact that minor “details in the sport matter.” Their “Fitter and Faster” swim clinic with an emphasis on butterfly and the underwater dolphin kick was informative and stimulating.
They were able to furnish the children with feedback based on their individual needs, and the children seemed eager to learn. Both Clary and Hawke were excellent presenters with top-notch organization skills and structure. The clinics that provided a wealth of swimming knowledge to the youth and they exhibited a good sense of humor, which went a long way. They are highly recommended, and they are great ambassadors for the sport of swimming. Their swimming clinic on butterfly and the underwater dolphin kick at Stony Brook University garnered an A rating.
To learn more about the “Fitter and Faster” swim clinics, check out their official website.
Read More: Earlier this month, Tyler Clary chatted with Digital Journal about the swimming clinic at Stony Brook University.
