Ryan Tse ’23 is a four-year Senior from Hong Kong. Tse is a proctor in Dana and co-head of the Engineering Club. Tse was a part of the winning 200 medley relay at the 2022 Founders Championships, and also won the bronze medal in the 200 Individual Medley. Fellow Senior on the swim team, Cristobal Elizondo Junco de la Vega ’23 said,“The thing that inspires me the most about Ryan is that he leads 100% by example. Instead of just telling people to work hard or focus, he does; he just sets the tone. I really admire him because of the work he puts in both in the pool and out, and the effort he makes to keep the team united. Ryan is also able to swim a variety of different events, which is super useful for our team and also just inspiring.”

How are you and the team faring this season?

There have been a lot of ups and downs, considering this has been the first time we’ve been able to compete normally in a long time [because of Covid]. I’ve had a long streak of health issues with injuries and illnesses, so I haven’t gotten into my tip-top form yet, but that doesn’t give me an excuse to stop working hard. As long as you put in your work every day, things will get better. Also, we’ve really managed to maintain a good team culture by supporting each other regardless of results. Individually, my times are slowly getting better, and as a team we are working towards the final championship meets. I’m happy to see everyone also dropping time, and hopefully we finish off the season strong.

What are your expectations for the team as a whole this season?

I hope that by the end of the season, as Coach Moon always likes to say, “We’re gonna make you swim faster than you ever have before.” I just hope that we are able to come even closer together as a team. Our team has always been like a pretty tight-knit community. We have team dinners together every day after practice. We’re all friends. I hope that the underclass students are able to gain experience from this season and then grow through the next few years. For the upperclassmen, specifically Seniors, I want us to finish our swimming careers well in these final few meets.

As a team captain, what do you do to build camaraderie?

I think swimming is often viewed as an individual sport, where you’re doing everything by yourself. But over the years, I’ve realized that swimming is a lot more than just competitions, because what people forget about are the moments of training and practice that matter the most. Team spirit shows itself when you’re in the most difficult of times. But that’s when you really have to rely on the surrounding teammates that are swimming because you know they’re going through the same struggles.

What are some personal goals you have?

My teammates and I are trying to break the 400-yard Medley relay record this year. We’re a second off, but hopefully we can all improve on our times. I find myself swimming a different event every year just because I swim what the team needs. And I’m happy with that. Because the team is more important to me than everything else. Right now, I’m swimming the 100 Fly. So hopefully I’ll break those records.

What are some of your favorite moments with the team?

Practice is the most important, but I think the most enjoyable moments were spent racing. I immediately think back to my Prep year New England’s, which we obviously haven’t been able to go to the past two years. We hosted it at Hotchkiss during the first few days of spring break. Everyone already left campus and it was just the team. The most memorable race was Alex Tolis ’23, swimming the 100-yard breaststroke. I remember we had a bet going on before the meet. We were joking around, he was saying he was gonna win the race, and I was saying, probably not, because he was seeded last place. I remember I watched him swim the first half and he was doing really well. And then suddenly, I noticed his shoulder drop a bit. And I realized that he hurt his shoulder joint. So I thought he was gonna slow down, but he won the race, and I lost the bet. Still, though it’s those memories, seeing the effort that we all put into the race, and into the whole season, that always sticks with me the most.