By Cornelia Seigneur –
By Special to The Oregonian
Published in Saturday, January 28, 2011 Oregonian print edition
Karch Perkins
Age: 16
Jeanine Serrano
Hometown: Tigard-Tualatin area
Grade/school: Junior, Tualatin High School
Teams: Tigard Tualatin Swim Club and Tualatin High School swim team
Recent accomplishments: “So far, I’ve won 100 back (100-meter backstroke) and several other events at every high school meet. And I got 17th overall out of almost 80 at a college meet in 100 back in Long Beach, California, at the Jan. 15, 2011, Southern California Swimming Senior Meet.”
How he got started: “In fifth grade. My mom said I needed a winter sport, because I played baseball in the spring. So, I had to pick basketball or swimming, and I hated basketball. So, swimming seemed like the obvious choice. I actually didn’t want to make the team, but I ended up being a fast learner.”
Favorite part of sport: “I love travel meets. Going somewhere new and racing new people, especially older people, is always fun.”
Favorite meal the night before the big event: Either spaghetti or fettuccine alfredo, “for a big carbohydrate load.”
Off-season?: “We have about a three-week break in August, and that’s about it. … But whenever I get a chance, I love to hit the mountain, or take a road trip to the beach and grab a surf session.”
Rules to live by: “There won’t always be a next time, so you should go for whatever you want to do at that moment.”
Hobbies, interests: “On most Saturdays, we help coach the littler kids in the younger groups with their strokes and techniques to help them become better swimmers. … It’s kind of like a big buddy thing.”
Memorable advice: “Be patient. Good things come to those who wait. Also, you need to work hard to get the things that you want. Life just doesn’t hand things to you, so don’t expect it to.”
On his iPod: Hip-hop/rap, ’80s-’90s rock. Sample artists: Usher, Far East Movement, Kanye West, Drake, Aerosmith, the Killers, the Beach Boys. “Big fan of U2.”
The one thing someone may not know about him: “When I was a kid, I used to dream about being an Olympic gold medalist breaststroker. It seems funny to me now, because backstroke is now my favorite stroke.”
What’s next: He hopes to swim on a college team — “preferably somewhere warm and near the beach.”
Here is the link to the original Oregonian story found online at oregonlive.com
