Pilachowski set to soar with Eagles

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Natasha Singh, Staff Writer

State record holder for the boys 400 meter freestyle relay and future alumni of Westford Academy, Kyle Pilachowski, will be swimming competitively for the Boston College Eagles.

The Eagles compete as a member of the NCAA Division I level, primarily competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Pilachowski is proactively keeping in touch with his upcoming teammates through social media.

“I’ve already met at least twenty other people at a recruiting trip, we have a group chat to communicate with each other and it just makes the whole process [of working together as a team] more comfortable,” Pilachowski said.

Along with already meeting part of the team, Pilachowski has multiple connections to the swim coaches at Boston College, as both his mother and his current coach trained under the wing of Boston College’s swim coach, Tom Groden.

Pilachowski will be attending the Carrol School of Management at Boston College, an unsurprising turn for the DECA state officer.

“I’ve always liked business and I’m good with numbers. I’m looking to major in finance, and then possibly the financial district of Boston or wall street when I get older. I want to get into the stocks and bonds business, that’s a lot about high risk and high reward. I’m not one to live a quiet life. I don’t want a normal 9 to 5 job. I want a life full of adventure,” Pilachowski said.

The Eagles’ practice schedule contributes to Pilachowski’s desire for a busy lifestyle, as it has two hour long sessions repeated during the morning and evening, along with three to five hours of student controlled exercise out of the pool.

“You have a little more freedom [to manage your time], alongside that you have more and more responsibility with that. It definitely feels nice but I’m very excited [for college],” Pilachowski said.

Despite this huge time commitment, Pilachowski keeps the option open to playing other sports concurrently with swimming.

“I’m possibly going to try out for the club soccer team and the club ultimate frisbee team, depending on which one works with my time,” Pilachowski said.

Despite the overwhelming agenda, Pilachowski is not phased by it due to the preparation he has been building up at WA.

“I feel like I do or have done the same in high school. Managing your time while balancing your honors, AP, and varsity sports altogether. It’s all about time management and sacrificing other stuff in order to succeed academically,” Pilachowski said.

During Pilachowski’s time at Boston College, the facility will  undergo new developments, rebuilding the pool after over thirty years of usage. Even with that in mind, Pilachowski states the sport itself holds many promises and achievements for him in the future.

“I’ve always loved the co-ed aspect of swimming, so the social part really keeps me drawn in. Not to mention it always keeps you [physically fit], it has great cardiovascular training that makes your endurance skyrocket. I definitely want to continue because I’ve seen how much I’ve put into it in the past, and how all that work paid off. Watching how you did and how far you’ve come,” said Pilachowski.

Overall, Pilachowski states that he cannot wait for the time to come, although the thought of leaving behind his current team is saddening as they have maintained a strong bond with one another.

“I started swimming when I was about one [year old] and my mom loves telling this story, but after she taught me how to swim, I decided I wanted to swim without the bubble. [I] dived into the Lowell pool, the lifeguard was concerned and she was about to jump in and grab me but I came right back up and just…kept going. Ever since then I [have] loved being in the water,” said Pilachowski.