Swanson '16 Secures Gold, Silver in Paris

 Charlie Swanson ’16 has achieved a fifteen-year-old dream that most athletes only fantasize about. Not only did he swim in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this past summer, but he also captured a gold medal in  the 4 x 100m Medley Relay (Mixed) and a silver in the 4 x 100m Medley Relay (Men). The hardware, while representative of extraordinary achievement, only scratches the surface of the experiences and career of such an accomplished St. Christopher’s alum.

     Swanson has been performing at a high level since his Upper School years at STC. Along with being a school record holder in numerous events, the retired NOVA swimmer secured a spot on the USA Junior National Team for both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Amidst this success as a junior, he qualified for four events at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials (non-junior) and won his first international medals during the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships. He then pursued swimming at the University of Michigan on a team that has historically been of top-five caliber in the NCAA. During college, Swanson’s winning streak continued with four 400 IM titles, his first senior international medal at the 2019 Pan American Games and series of impressive times at both the B1G and NCAA Championships.

     After graduating from UM in 2020, Swanson qualified for his second Olympic Team Trials, which were postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a mere few seconds would block his entry to the Tokyo Games. Finding a new direction, he became a professional athlete that same year, swimming a season for Energy Standard in the International Swimming League (ISL). Since retiring from the ISL, Swanson has held a position at an engineering firm that allows him to maintain a positive balance between work, life and swimming.

But, a return to a large stage was imminent. In 2022, Swanson’s success at the US International Team Trials, backed by a stellar breast stroke performance that tied him for first place, ensured a spot to compete in the 2022 World Championships in Hungary. Fast forward to 2024, and Charlie Swanson is competing in his first-ever Olympic Games on the largest stage in the world.

     Following previous misses, he showed resilience and dedication in the face of lingering discouragement from 2016 and 2021. “I still thought I could do it… I really just tried to stick with it and was able to prove what I’d always thought I was capable of.” After a successful qualification in Indianapolis at the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials, he was Pairs-bound and on Team USA for the first time, fulfilling a lifelong goal.

     Swanson described the experience of the Games as surreal from beginning to end. He also provided a behind-the-scenes look into the life of an athlete living and training 4,000 miles from home. For starters, the Olympics take no shortage of commitment, requiring an entire month to prepare and compete in Paris. The city is packed with both tourists and athletes alike, 12,000 of whom are shuttled around the arrondissements, athletic facilities and the Olympic Village. Billboards cover every available surface, and the media attention is so grand that security is at a maximum. In addition, media training is a must to ensure seamless interactions with local and international reporters.

He was able to interact with athletes in a variety of sports from all kinds of cultural backgrounds daily, citing a highlight as “just mingling with people from all over the world.” This doesn’t even include the experiences of swimming alongside legends like Katie Ladecky or Caeleb Dressel in front of jam-packed crowds. For him “the medals were just added bonuses” to an unforgettable journey abroad.

     Upon a brief return to Richmond, Swanson was greeted with a barrage of local media attention, along with congratulations from an army of family and friends. One reward in particular has been the joy of reconnecting with old friends. “Hearing how excited everyone was… I guess I didn’t really understand how far it [the story] spread.”

     Through this cacophony of competition, success and praise, Swanson still clings tight to the lessons he learned over his 13-year tenure at St. Christopher’s. He describes the value of seemingly basic skills like manners, along with the omnipresent need for treating others with kindness and gratitude, a practice he is extremely grateful for having instilled in him from a young age. Discussing his school years, he said, “It [STC] was definitely a great experience and I’m appreciative for the people who were a part of it.”

     While he has no competitions scheduled for the future, Swanson’s well-deserved break will keep him busy. He plans on making an appropriately labeled “victory lap” to showcase his community appreciation with fall appearances at NOVA and his alma mater in Ann Arbor while continuing his engineering job . While time will tell what future swimming endeavors Swanson will involve himself in, one thing is for certain: he has cemented an undeniable legacy as both a locally and nationally recognized athlete for his dedication to the pool and the communities he has been a part of.