See all posts in the Kirk’s Captain Corner series

(Kirk’s Captain Corner is a regular feature that will allow Carver County residents to get to know the student-leaders of the various teams in our high schools. Today we feature Chanhassen High School senior Zed Warain, Co-captain of the Chaska/Chanhassen StormHawks Boys Swimming and Diving Team.)

How long have you been swimming?  Did you swim for a club growing up?

I swam for many different clubs for over 11 years.

What has been your best swimming memory?

When our head swimming coach in high school, Joe Mau, treated me and three others in Fogo De Chao.

You are a senior at Chanhassen High School and lead a co-op team, meaning, you share the pool with both Storm and Hawks athletes.  What has that experience been like?

It’s great. The swimmers are respectful and they all work hard. They have their own goals and it’s been fun to see how they work up to it.

One thing I personally enjoyed about high school and college swimming is that, unlike many sports, you make so many close friendships over the years with swimmers from other schools.  Have you found this to be true as well?

Yes of course. I came from the Philippines to Canada and now to the U.S., and all that time I’ve been swimming constantly and it’s where I’ve made close friends. I think that that’s true because in the pool everyone suffers the same, and sharing that moment and pushing one another creates a bond that you won’t find other than in the pool.

What are your plans for next year?

I plan to swim for a university and study finance/business.

What has it meant to you to be a team co-captain?

It has taught me a lot. Being team captain shows pressure and responsibility. Other than the coaches It’s your duty to get the younger ones prepared and knowledgeable for their races. Showing others that you can perform well despite being tired, pressured and busy with schoolwork shows an image that they can look up to and understand that it’s possible to manage all these things and be good at them.