Passion, Purpose and the Pool

Everyone who has been following the Olympics saw Dean Boxall’s reaction to Ariarne Titmus’s win over American great Katie Ledecky in the 400 free. It was over the top, silly, wild and hilarious. Love it or hate it, his passion is undeniable.

He’s quoted as saying, “I can’t help it. I bleed with my athletes. When they leave the pool deck with me – whether I’m having a chat with them for an hour if it has to be – but when they leave, they have to start the recovery process and go home. They switch off; I don’t. I go home and dream for them. I go home and try and find a way for them to get better.” [source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/27/meet-dean-boxall-the-rock-star-swim-coach-whose-olympics-celebration-went-viral]

High School championship meet

As a former competitive swimmer, a former coach and now a parent of a competitive swimmer (or 3), I can relate to Dean in many ways! I remember turning my head during my fastest 500 free in the championship meet my senior year in high school to see my coach jumping, screaming and wildly gesturing for me to keep going. I finished with the best time, by far, of my swimming career.

As a coach, I had a lot of kids who made me smile, who made me proud and made me feel like coaching was the best job. But, there was one young woman who struggled through a season, looked to me for guidance and advice and who worked harder than everyone else in the pool, day in and day out. And I will never forget the day that she got her best time, at the end of a taper, shaved and ready to go - with her coach jumping up and down like a wild woman on deck.

Of course, it’s even more intense to watch your own kids go through the struggle, the hard work, the early mornings and the ultimate reward. Just recently, my oldest son, having grown 9 inches during the pandemic, dove in for his first meet in over a year and dropped insane amounts of time, in every event - and again, I was standing behind his block as a timer, on deck, screaming and gesturing wildly with the thrill of seeing hard work in the pool finally pay off.

Parents cheering

As the founder of Chlorine Deckwear, I created the brand to stand for these shared experiences and relatable moments - hard work, early mornings, chlorine hair, cannonballs, coaches wildly flailing on deck during a great swim, shots on goal, the perfect dive, a beautifully executed ballet leg. We’re here to stand alongside the community of water sports athletes with deckwear that shouts - I LOVE THE POOL!

Don’t miss our printed-on-demand Cl17 branded apparel, our partnerships with athletes from age group to the Olympics or the chance to be a part of this fast growing community of people who love the pool.

What’s your story?

Do you have a story that you'd like to see featured in our community?
Send us your story!

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published