On a Friday afternoon, Hokies swimmers get final practice reps in at Christiansburg Aquatic Center — that includes Jefferson Forest graduate Brendan Whitfield.
“I’m still treated like a normal person. I’m not looked down upon just because I’m a freshman,” Whitfield said.
That “normal person” status could change in the coming days. Whitfield is one of nearly a dozen Hokies taking part in Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis — quite the honor considering swimming started as a mere hobby.
“When I was like 6 or 7, my brother joined the Summer league and I think I wanted to follow what he did. So I just did it for fun for four summers,” Whitfield said.
Four years later, Whitfield joined the club team then came the school team at Jefferson Forest High School, where he was a State Champion in the 100-meter fly his senior year.
Some of Whitfield’s best performances have been in relay events, where he and his relay partners have earned All-American honors.
“We had a couple of dual meets and invite meets where I swam pretty fast in relays and won a couple of PB’s so I just knew I could contribute to the best of my abilities,” he said.
Giving his best to the greatest depths of the pool, with big goals in mind individually and as a team.
“It’s exciting to get our team name out there and everybody knows we’re up and coming and hopefully these next few years we just get faster and faster,” Whitfield said.