When Michael Walker found out that FAST - Fairmont Area Swim Team – was hiring a coach, he jumped on the opportunity, traveling all the way from Guatemala to do it.

 

“This is one of the biggest teams in the state so that was a huge appeal and obviously it’s close to where I grew up and that was another big factor – moving back to West Virginia,” said Walker, who was a standout swimmer at Bridgeport High School and West Virginia University. "Since I left West Virginia, I've had a desire to eventually come back and try to help swimmers and the swim community here.”

 

After swimming at WVU, where during his senior year he placed 11^th in the individual medley at the NCAA championships, Walker worked with former WVU Swim Coach Sergio Lopez at Bolles Swim School in Jacksonville, Fla. Coaching both high school and professional swimmers, he had the chance to attend the 2012 Olympics in London when five of his swimmers qualified.

 

After working with Lopez at Bolles for five years, Walker relocated to Guatemala in February of 2015 to work with simmer, Gisela Morles, He coached her at the 2015 Pan American Games and World Championships and in October became the head coach of the Guatemalan National Swim Team at the Guatemala Aquatic Federation, working with swimmers including Morles, who was a hopeful for the 2016 Olympic games.

 

“She had shoulder surgery in March and that put a bit of a damper on trying to make Rio,” Walker said. “But I would have still made the decision to come back here, even if we did make it to Rio.”

 

His travels provided him with many learning opportunities and he wants to pass them on to the FAST swimmers.

 

“Every place I’ve been and every coach I’ve been around has definitely taught me something,” he said. “I look forward to bringing that experience back and hopefully giving that experience to these other kids and coaches. I'll do the best that I can.”

 

After a three-day registration period, FAST has about 70 swimmers – ages six to 18 - for the upcoming short-course season. From fall through spring, university, high school and club swim teams train in a short-course 25-yard pool. Over the summer, that changes to a long-course 50-meter pool, he explained.

 

Swimmers will be evaluated and divided into groups based on skill level. Training will begin Tuesday, Sept. 6.

 

“We’ll have four different groups with the first two more developmental with not as much emphasis on competition. They will practice three times a week and the top two groups will practice every day Monday through Saturday" Walker said. 

 

Training takes place at the Feaster Center on the campus of Fairmont State University. The team’s first competitive meet is Oct. 9. The majority of FAST swimmers are from Fairmont with some traveling from cities including Morgantown and Bridgeport. Among older swimmers are those who want to stay in top swim shape in the high school off-season by swimming competitively year-round.

 

When Walker swam for BHS, he did the same by swimming with the YMCA. FAST will compete with the Harrison County YMCA swim team and other club teams including Morgantown and Parkersburg.

Walker is confident he made a good decision accepting the job as head coach for FAST. Serving as his assistant is his younger sister Alexandra “Ali” Walker, a BHS graduate who just last year swam for Fairmont State.

 

“She started helping out with FAST over this past summer and served as the head coach during the summer season,” Walker said. “It will absolutely be cool to work with her.”

 

Likely, two other assistants will be hired, he said. 

 

Read more about Walker's recent position in Guatemala HERE.