Shaine Casas' Parents Greatly Influenced His Affinity for Swimming

May 2024 · 3 minute read

Swimmer and Olympic beginner Shaine Casas has at all times been relaxed in the water — despite the tragedy his parents say it introduced his family.

Sara Belcher - Author

Texas A&M swimmer and new Team USA Olympian Shaine Casas is a newcomer swimming and diving lovers were eying for a long time. As a U.S. National Champion, a two-time U.S. National Team member, and the seventh-fastest swimmer for the 100-meter backstroke in U.S. historical past, his journey to the Olympics isn't in point of fact a surprising one.

Shaine signed with his present college in 2017, however much of his coaching earlier than that has been achieved on his personal time, taking up exercises and laps outside of college sports.

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The 6-foot-Four athlete already has instances that rival those of earlier Olympic medalists, despite this being his first Olympic games.

And Shaine's affinity for the pool and swimming can be closely attributed to his upbringing. His parents have recounted tales of him loving the pool from an early age — in spite of it additionally being a supply of significant tragedy for his circle of relatives.

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Shaine Casas' mother stated water has all the time calmed him.

Even from an early age, Shaine's mother, Monica Epling, stated her son has had a transparent sense of calm round water.

“He doesn’t imagine me when I inform him he was once geared toward swimming,” she instructed RVG Sports in 2017, when Shaine signed with Texas A&M University. “I was critically unwell my entire being pregnant, and I couldn’t get relaxed unless I was submerged within the bathtub or water or in the pool. He’s been around water since ahead of he was once born.”

She claimed that once Shaine would fuss as a toddler, baths would make him stop crying. He would even try to get into the circle of relatives pool once he may walk. Even his grandmother recounted tales of him attempting to move slowly into the pool.

His herbal draw to water has gave the look to be certainly one of his largest property and has been largely attributed to a couple of his present athletic success. Even from his early formative years, his family members say he confirmed promise as a swimmer.

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Shaine Casas' father died in a drowning coincidence.

Water has played an interestingly vital role in Shaine's life, however unfortunately, it is usually the supply of a lot tragedy. When the 21-year-old was just a toddler, his father, James Epling, died in a drowning coincidence.

James worked for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and whilst pursuing a smuggler, he sadly drowned.

James' demise was once exhausting at the family, however as a substitute of letting the twist of fate gas concern in her children, Monica determined to get a circle of relatives pool.

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She stated she didn't want Shaine to turn into "another stat," so as soon as the pool was once put in, she got him water protection lessons, in step with the USA Swimming web site.

These classes and his clear calmness around water contributed to his eventual love of swimming, which he started pursuing significantly all through his sophomore 12 months of highschool.

Once he signed with Texas A&M, Shaine began breaking information, scoring points within the NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championship as a freshman (the first from his university), and breaking Ryan Lochte's report for the 200-yard backstroke.

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