Passion for Swimming Passed Down Through Generations

Just last Thursday, February 20, Tri-Valley senior Caroline Holmes and her brother Hansel a freshman at Tri-Valley traveled with their mother, Christi Holmes (the Head swim coach for Tri-Valley) to Canton’s CT Branin Natatorium to compete with the very best high school swimmers from all over Ohio at the OHSAA State Meet.

Hansel’s school record district meet time of 54.43 was his ticket to participate in the 100 fly at the state meet. He put up a time of 55.19 during his very first state appearance Friday which earned him a 23rd place finish for the event. “I was really excited. It was an honor to get to attend and represent Tri-Valley. And, it was a lot of fun,” Hansel explained.

Caroline has had an outstanding high school swim career with this being her second appearance at state. She has broken almost all Tri-Valley records in her four years competing at the high school level. Earlier this swim season she has earned the fastest time to break the school record for the 200 Medley Relay alongside teammates Clare Waggle, Larissa Lynch and Seryna Mann, as well as the 200 Free, 200 IM, 100 Free, 500 Free, and 100 Breast. At the OHSSA State Meet Finals Caroline recorded a new school record-breaking time of 57.7 in the 100 Backstroke. This earned her a fifth-place podium placement at the event. She also competed in the 200 free placing ninth earning her an all-Ohio spot for first place, but medaling is not an option for the B finals. “It was so cool to be able to compete at the state meet twice in my high school career. The overall energy and ambiance of the meet is overwhelming and exciting! It was even more special this year to experience it with my brother. I will never forget it!, exclaimed Caroline.

Swimming has been a huge part of life for the family starting with Christi Holmes’s mother who taught swimming lessons in the late 1950s when she was just a teenager. Her parents installed a pool in their backyard in 1958 so she could teach. She taught hundreds of kids from that pool in 45 years. Growing up Christi spent many summers at that same pool at her grandparent’s house watching her mom teach and later helping. Christi’s mom took her to a Zanesville Y Piranha swim meet to watch a friend’s kid compete when she was only 10. The following May Christi tried out for the Y summer team and was hooked. She qualified for YMCA Nationals at age 12 in the 100 breaststroke. Christi has been a trailblazer for Tri-Valley swimming. She was the very first swimmer for the school. Even without a high school team, she represented Tri-Valley in the OHSAA Swimming and Diving State Tournament in 1984-86. “I will never forget swimming in Canton at the state meet wearing a black Tri-Valley suit. What I remember most is feeling very proud to represent TV as a swimmer but nervous during the playing of the National Anthem,” stated Christi. She had an outstanding high school swim career and broke many records. Her record time for the 50-yard Freestyle of 24.97 from 1985 is still standing. In 2016 her daughter, Caroline broke her record in the 100-yard Freestyle. Swimming for the US Naval Academy was one of the highlights of Christi’s swim career. “I was in the first recruited class of Navy women swimmers. It was fun to Beat Army twice (my class – 1990 – started a streak of beating Army for 31 straight years) and representing Navy at the D2 NCAA meet all 4 years and getting my first recognition as an All-American,” said Christi. In 2018 Christi was inducted into the Tri-Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame. She was also recognized by the Navy by being inducted into their athletic hall of fame.

Caroline and Hansel have enjoyed other sports and activities throughout the years. Swimming has helped to prepare Hansel for baseball, building his endurance and strength during the offseason. He loves playing baseball and football. Caroline has tried many activities but swimming has been the best fit. Being in a military family meant switching schools 5-6 times so swimming was a common ground for her. It was easy to make friends because the sport is very social outside of the water. Both Hansel and Caroline have loved the water from the very beginning. Due to their parent’s military careers, they have lived in warmer places during their early childhoods which allowed them lots of opportunities to swim.

Christi said this about seeing her children enjoying the sport of swimming – “It’s super fun and exciting! I never wanted to be “that mom”…the mom who lives through their kids or who pushes them to do something they wanted them to do. For me, it’s really neat that THEY actually chose to do this on their own and have embraced the sport with passion and vigor. Both work really, really hard in everything that they do so it’s especially fun for me to watch them. I tell all the kids that I coach that I swim every race with them. It’s especially fun to get to do that with my own kids, but it can be a little nerve-wracking in a way. Hard not to be just a little nervous for them. I’m trying to enjoy every moment though because it will be over before I know it. Every day I feel very blessed. Swimming is a great sport – it teaches kids a lot of tremendous LIFE lessons and is an amazing CHARACTER building sport. I love that my kids chose swimming to help them become better people.”

Both Caroline and Hansel have grown so much as people through swimming. “I have learned so many things from the sport of swimming. It truly has shaped my life. I have learned the value of hard work and dedication and the importance of tenacity and perseverance. I have also learned the concept of “grit”, or working hard when things get tough.” shared Caroline. Hansel added, “You have to be willing to put in the work to get the results that you want. Also, you need to be mentally tough to push through the discomfort and work hard even when you are tired.”

[CAPTION: Head Coach for the Tri-Valley Swim Team, Christi Holmes (L), stands with her son, Hansel Holmes, daughter Caroline Holmes and assistant swim coach, Susan Bowen (R) at the 2020 State Swim Meet finals in Canton. Matthew Dotson, Dresden Buzz]