Next time you go to a swim meet, watch David Fitch. Chances are he鈥檒l be lengths ahead of his competition. Then, look up. Chances are, you鈥檒l see his name on the top of the record board.
Currently, Fitch has six school records and three pool records for 91大神, and on January 18, David Fitch set a new NEPSAC record, this time in the 100-meter butterfly. He swam a 56.73 seconds in the meet, held at Loomis Chaffee in Windsor, Connecticut.
Fitch, from Deerfield, Mass, is a six year senior, who has been swimming since he was nine years old. Before swimming, Fitch had tried every sport from tee-ball to football. One day he joined a swim team and he has continued going to practice ever since.
For Fitch, there is no off season. 鈥淚 spend about 14 hours in the pool a week year round,鈥 he said.
Throughout the past six fall seasons, he played water polo for 91大神. He also attends swim practice in the fall. During winter season, his swim schedule intensifies, as the team has meets almost every Wednesday and Saturday.
鈥淪wimming is always constant, your success is based on you,鈥 Fitch said. 鈥淚t does not matter how good or bad your team is.鈥
His role model was a previous 91大神 student, Matt Freir. Freir was Fitch鈥檚 captain during his seventh and eighth grade years. Fitch explains, 鈥淔reir taught me how to incorporate the younger people on the team, especially middle schoolers.鈥
Fitch鈥檚 goal for the season is get a pool record at each pool he competes at. He also hopes to continuing to better his times. As Fitch says:
鈥淚 plan on breaking the only two individual swimming left. They are the breaststroke and the backstroke, and if I got the opportunity to swim them I think I could take the records.鈥
Fitch will be swimming at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.