Sarasota Athlete of the Week: 08.03.17

Chasen Dubs, 16, swims for Riverview High and the Sarasota YMCA Sharks. At the 2017 Area 5 Short Course Swimming Championships on July 29-30, Dubs qualified for the 2018 National YMCA Short Course Swimming Championships in four events: The 100-yard fly (52.62 seconds), freestyle (47.68), backstroke (53.97) and breaststroke (1:00.55). 

How long have you been swimming?

I started competitively swimming when I was 8 years old, for the East Hampton Hurricanes. This was back when I lived in New York. I was good at backstroke at first, and then my coaches got me into different strokes, and I got better and better. I moved down here to Sarasota two years ago.

What is the appeal of swimming to you?

It works out your whole body. Anything you do in swimming, it works out your body. It's a great sport to stay in shape. It's, well, I wouldn't say it's easy to pick up, but if you do it more than once, you'll start to pick it up. It's a good workout for everybody, and you can do it all the time. 

Did you play other sports in your childhood?

While growing up, I played football, soccer and basketball. While I was playing those sports, I kind of figured out that I should have stuck to swimming. (Laughs). I was OK in those other sports. It's just that I wasn't as good as I was at swimming.

Do you have a favorite stroke? 

My favorite now is butterfly. I have a lot of upper body (strength). I wouldn't say I'm all arms, my legs are strong, but not as strong as my upper body. When I do fly, it's all in my arms. It's my favorite because I'm the strongest at it. 

What hobbies do you have?

I surf. That's my other favorite thing to do, that and lifeguarding with the United States Lifesaving Association. If swimming didn't exist, I'd probably be surfing (all the time). It's in the water, and I love everything in the water. It uses my arms, so it keeps me in shape, too. The places I get to go to are really fun, also. I surf with Surfing America Prime, it's two classes down from the World Surf League, which is all the professionals. 

Do you have any goals as a swimmer?

Short-term, it's to make junior nationals. I'm sitting right on the cut times. My long-term goal, I want to swim in college for an NCAA Division I school. Also, when I get older and faster, I want to try and make it to the 2020 Olympics. 

What is your favorite food?

I have a lot of favorite foods, I don't know. Some of them aren't that healthy. I'll say sushi, pasta, steak, mac and cheese, chicken and fish. 

What is your favorite subject in school?

Marine biology. I'm all about the water. If someone offered me $15 million to sit in an office and work there, I wouldn't take it. I'd rather have someone pay me zero money and have me go in the water all day than work in an office. I can't do that. I'd go psycho. I have to be somewhere that involves the water. Anything. 

What is the best piece of advice you have received?

This is one my dad (Christopher Dubs) gave me. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." My entire life, I've always been good at everything. But when I started growing up, people started getting closer and closer to me, and those were the people who were working hard the entire time. I was working hard, but not as hard and I should have been. Now, they're with me (ability-wise). I've been beaten a couple times. I have started to realize, "Man, I need to start working harder." Otherwise, they'll keep up with me. 

Finish this sentence: "Chasen Dubs is ... "

... A sweet, kind, loving guy. Easy to get along with. Likes helping people. I love being around kids and helping kids, helping the community and all that. There's really no bad side to me at all. You'd have to try really hard to make me mad or get on my bad side. You'd have to blow up my house or something, I don't know.