This winter season was full of many memories for the Seattle Prep community, especially for our sports teams. This winter Keane Collins joined the Seattle Prep Swim Team for the first time as a Junior.
Prompted to join by the famous bleach blond hair, he attended his first interest meeting and it really caught his attention. Never before swimming competitively, he dove into an unfamiliar sport with an open mind. Collins says his ambition to swim for Prep was for the hair and the goal of making Districts.
At first his first practice Collins regarded it, afterwards, as “pure agonizing pain”. But he was determined to persevere and to take swimming for more than inside of the pool. The team offered a wonderful source of comradely and brotherhood within it’s small team, a “band of brothers”.
In his first meet, Collins was yet to understand his true potential. He swam well but knew he could do better. By the third meet, a margin of success had been achieved and he was ready. This time would be his first time racing in the 100 breast stroke event. His first breast stroke was a bit rusty with near illegal turns but Collins stilled turned out a significantly speedy time.
Collin’s story only improved when he finally achieved a Districts time in the 100 breast stroke. This is a very rare occasion for a first year upperclassman to race a Districts time in the breast stroke.

Collin’s attributes much of his success to the team’s coaches and the inspiration and support from the other swimmers. He believed the head coach, Leslie, had an authoritative presence that added to her leadership skills and helped him to understand the structure and dynamics of a swim team. Assistant coaches Sky and Andy really helped Collins to perfect his form from a pull down to his first dive into the water. He regarded his greatest improvement from their coaching was his ability to do a complete flip turn, before he did not know how. Collins believed his last breast stroke swim at Metros really embodied his season this year because he swam an excellent time and has yet to meet his peak.
Keane Collins is very optimistic for the 2015-2016 season and believes in his ability to race a state time.