In his last season swimming for Higley High School, Keaton Van Gieson continually pushes himself to become the best swimmer he can possibly be.

“It’s (swimming) given me a passion and something to be proud of,” Van Gieson said. “Something that I do for myself. I do to make myself happy and make me proud.”

Van Gieson, co-captain of the boy’s swim team, didn’t begin swimming competitively until eighth grade but since then he has worked his way to the top, holding a personal record of 53.84 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly stroke.

The boys coach, Ryan Kiley, said Van Gieson came to him at the end of last season and told him that he wanted to do better, that he was going to become better.

 “I told him if this is something he really wants to do --  these goals he set for himself -- he would have to put in that extra effort outside of swimming and he did,” Kiley said. “So he came in at the beginning of the season already a leg up then most around the Valley.”

Kiley said Van Gieson’s determination, self-motivation and result driven personality pushes him to work hard.

“During practice he (Van Gieson) is always asking for more whether it’s just one more set or little extra yardage,” Kiley said. “That want, that drive, that need is still pretty prominent in him.”

Van Gieson first began swimming at a young age but throughout elementary and most of middle school, he played team sports. What drew him to swim was the individual accountability of the sport.

“When your head’s under water you are very much alone even if you are in a pool. … with all these people as soon as your head goes underwater it’s just you,” Kiley said. “So I think mentally he’s (Van Gieson) there.”

The other co-captian of the boys team, senior Carson Sundem, met Van Gieson on the first day of their club swim back in eighth grade, since then the two boys have been best friends.

“He’s easily the hardest worker on the team I think that’s a great example for the youngers kids… and varsity,” Sundem said. “He just resembles the perfect athlete.”

Van Gieson works during practice to push the other swimmers.

“My goal as a leader on the team is to inspire others to do better … show them they can really do good,” Van Gieson said. “It doesn’t matter where you are right now. In the future you can become better.”