As he walks into the building in the early morning, sophomore Carson Foster looks like any other student at SHS. With his profound modesty and humility, one might not even know that he is anything more than a regular kid who just happened to transfer from St. Xavier High School.

But as a swimmer who attends high profile competitions, breaks many records, and competed against Olympians, Foster is not your average student.

To state that he is a fast swimmer would be an understatement. On Feb. 24, Foster won the state championship and broke the record in 200 free at 1:34.19. He also won in the 500 free.

Aside from winning Swimmer of the Year at GMC’s, Foster is well-known in the swimming community and has more than a few other accomplishments under his belt.

Some notable ones include smashing Michael Phelps’ 100 yard butterfly record for ten and unders, swimming at the Olympic Trials at 14, making top eight in five events at the 2017 US Junior Nationals, and receiving a silver medal at the 2017 World Junior Swimming Championships for the 200 yard backstroke, the last of which Foster would consider his proudest moment.

“Olympic trials was an amazing experience. The atmosphere of the meet was insane. I’ve never seen that many people rally around the sport, which was really cool to see,” Foster said.

Although he has been swimming competitively at six years old and making headlines since ten, Foster developed his love for swimming at the age of three.

“We lived in Arizona when I was really little and had a pool in the backyard, so we learned to swim. And I loved it,” Carson said.

From learning how to swim to racing today, Foster’s siblings Jake Foster and Hannah Foster, who are only one and two years older than him, have been with him every step of his swimming odyssey.

Both extremely talented swimmers in their own right, Jake attends St. Xavier High School while Hannah goes to St. Ursula. The three siblings all train together with the Mason Manta Rays.

“We have a very competitive but friendly family. We are all best friends and for the most part, swimming has enhanced our relationships more than anyone would ever expect,” Carson said.

For the youngest Foster, a busy schedule always awaits him. A typical day entails waking up at 4:45 a.m. in order to attend an early morning practice, going to school, and then heading back to practice from 3:45 p.m. to 7 p.m., where he would swim for the majority of the time and then lift for an hour.

Only when he returns from training does Foster eat dinner, finish his homework, and attempt to get to bed by 10:30 p.m. Despite his exhausting day, Foster’s passion for swimming is still as strong as ever.

For 13 years, Foster has been swimming, and with his dedication, work ethic, and love for the sport, he very well may be swimming for 13 more.

“One of my biggest goals in the sport is to be successful on the college level and eventually represent USA on the National team,” Carson said.

What’s your favorite part about swimming?
My favorite part is the friendships built within the team atmosphere that swimming creates.

What is some advice you would offer to other swimmers?
Just find ways for swimming to be fun like [thinking of] the friendships, competitiveness, a way to stay in shape–anything for you to find a purpose to swim.

What is it like competing against Mason since you probably recognize a lot of the swimmers from your club team?
It’s always fun to see them because I’m super close with all of them. Obviously, I’m new to the Mason-Sycamore rivalry, so it’s not in my head too much, but of course I’d always like to beat them. But at the end of the day, they are my teammates, so if they win, I’m definitely happy for them.