By Bri Groves, Swimming World College Intern
The world around Dylan Hall is loud, exciting, and unexpected: like a rollercoaster ride that picks up speed before coming to an abrupt halt, ejecting its passengers, and pausing briefly to collect new riders. He enters the pool in a wave of euphoria and exits with a newfound sense of pleasure. When I first met Dylan Hall, he told me he liked rollercoasters. When I spoke with his parents, they warned me: “he makes a big splash.”
So, on my first day of coaching Dylan Hall, I opened my notebook to a blank page and proceeded to write: ‘Dylan Hall- likes rollercoasters and makes a big splash,’ before putting my notes aside and entering the water with a new swimmer.
Looking back on that practice, I don’t recall what we did or how fast he went, but I will always remember, “Dylan Hall likes rollercoasters and makes a big splash.” As he sped across the pool, taking each challenge I presented and besting me at my own games, I began to realize what true passion, perseverance, and hard work look like.
Dylan swam with a beaming smile, an excessive amount of splashing, and a purpose. After practice, he left with a grin and an eager “see you tomorrow” and I waved goodbye not realizing that the phrase would still apply four years later.
On a March morning, a now six-foot-tall Dylan Hall opened an old workout notebook to find an entry on his first practice. He scanned the page once. Twice. Three times. Then flipped the composition book around and handed it back: “You’re missing something.” He drew an arrow pointing to the 29 blank lines and wrote ‘autism.’
Swimming is like riding a rollercoaster; it’s full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and goes forward and backward without warning. Autism is no different. When Dylan discovered his passion for swimming, he found his next rollercoaster and brought me along for the ride.
Perhaps I kept that page blank in my notebook because I was unsure how to coach an autistic swimmer or maybe it was the pure excitement of watching a dedicated athlete that prevented me from defining Dylan any other way.
As we’ve worked together, my coaching techniques have been refined and my love of swimming has been reinforced. Swimming is an amazing experience, but there’s something special about being able to share your passion and motivate others. When I started coaching, I had no idea what I was getting into but I could not be more exuberant about the time I’ve been lucky enough to spend with so many incredible individuals. Every athlete is inspiring, unique, and benefits from the sport, but occasionally, there are athletes who bring something entirely new to swimming.
Dylan makes a big splash when he swims. He sends water and convention flying up behind the tumult of his thunderous kick. He has broken records, topped time lists, and defied expectations. His motivation has enabled him to surpass obstacles, overcome adversity, and enjoy the sport.
For him, swimming is not about the outcome, it’s about the ride. It’s about the fluctuation between liquescent euphoria and waves of exertion. It’s about the highs after going best times and the persistence to move past the lows. While “autistic” is a characteristic that describes his mannerisms, “swimmer” is a term that defines him.
As I stood at the side of the pool and watched Dylan complete his first college race, I could not articulate my feelings any better. I turned to his new coach and said with a grin, “Dylan Hall likes rollercoasters and makes a big splash.”
Justine Whitehouse
according to the fiagnostic criteria some bloke called Michael also conforms to the criterai…