For many athletes, early morning practices are often dreaded. But for junior Colin Doyle, it’s his favorite part of swimming. 

Doyle trains, at a minimum, for three and a half hours per day, not including meets and additional training at YMCA during the weekend. 

“My favorite part of swimming is training,” Doyle said. “I personally, despite many opinions, love training. I like going hard, going fast, feeling sore.”

He eats 4500 calories a day, including 3 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch that his mom packs him.

He wakes up at 6 a.m to go to practice, and gets out of afternoon practice at 7:15, swimming over four miles a day. 

He has done this every school day since freshman year, and did club swim even before then. 

“I have been swimming competitively, or I got real serious in 8th grade,” Doyle said. “Thats when I started eating a bunch and seeing major time drops (in my events).”

His club team practices after school, and helps give him extra motivation.

“When you are at club, and you are surrounded by people that also enjoy swim, that also really pushes you,” Doyle said.

He holds his teammates to train as hard as he does.

“He wants everyone around him to do the best just like he does,” sophomore Konner Schnieder said.

This is all worth it to him, because in the end, he wins.He wins nearly every race in the district, and regularly places in the top 10 at city and state meets.

“My favorite event is the 200 IM, because im pretty good at it, and i get to swim all the strokes and really drive on all of them,” Doyle said.

This drive pushed him to an 8th place finish at the regional championship this past year, with a time of 1:57,  against schools across central Texas. 

He attributes his success to a multitude of things, mostly his parents and coaches.

The coaches help ease his school troubles, by allowing him to go to tutoring sessions before school to keep his grades up. 

“I think they (the coaches) can really understand what its like to be a swimmer and the struggles of a swimmer,” Doyle said.

Doyle’s parents also help motivate him.

“Honestly my parents are the main reason for my success. They want to see me succeed as bad as i want to see myself succeed. It pushes me,” Doyle said