![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Coach Chadwick joins upper school as new varsity swim coach
Coach Chadwick goes over practice workouts with the swim team during practice last week.
March 3, 2016
Swim instructor Tania Chadwick joined the upper school varsity swim team as a coach during the start of this year and hopes to use her experience to strengthen the team this season.
Coach Chadwick has had prior experiences involving the Harker community and expresses enthusiasm for her position.
“I have two kids who go to Harker, one to the lower school and one to the middle school but being a swim coach has been a lifelong dream,” she said. I’m at a job I’ve always wanted to do at a place I know was right for me,” Chadwick said.
The Coach’s goals of training for the upper school students differs due to the range of experiences across the board.
“You’ll find that everyone has a slightly different goal,” she said. “Some students swim year round so they high goals and they’re working all year to achieve that. And you’ll have other students who are not as experienced and still want to get better.”
Her love for the sport comes from her life-long experiences practicing and competing. She has won many awards including South Coast Conference Swimmer of the Year at Golden West University and Collegiate Athletic Association Swimmer of the Year.
“I was always in the water. Ever since I was born, I loved swimming, even doing competitive swimming from when I was six,” she said. “It went through middle school through college to the NCAA in college.”
Her college training has proven intense with the exercises done mirroring that of professional Olympic athletes.
“These days, you look at the top colleges now, and that’s where all those [Olympic athletes] come from; they’re from the collegiate program,” Chadwick said.
Unlike some of her counterparts who emphasize power and strength, Chadwick brings a focus on technical skill in her coaching.
“It wouldn’t matter how many hours you spent in the pool. If your technique is not up to par you won’t get any better,” she said. “We also work on the dives and turns”.
That approach is somewhat fitting considering how competitive swimming has been changing throughout the years. These adaptations are present in and out of the pool: changes in stroke technique and methods to record the sport.
“[Nowadays] there’s more emphasis on dry-land for your core like other sports have,” Chadwick said. “Just improvement on the overall body and nutrition: making sure everyone gets enough sleep. So I think that all of that aspect: just fine tuning the athlete and recognizing that the sport: the stroke is changing.”
The team prepares to compete in its first league meet on Friday at Monta Vista High.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on March 3, 2016.
