Champions Come To You In Different Ways

The chance for a high school student athlete to gain a sports scholarship varies slightly depending on the sport, but in reality it is less then 5%. One of Missoula’s local sports heroes will not only get the chance to participate at the next level,  but for one of the most prestigious sports programs in the nation. Big Sky High School Senior Adam Zimmer will get the chance to swim for the Duke Blue Devils this fall on a scholarship.

High school swimming is one of the most challenging team sports done by single individual that is recognized by the Montana High School Association. For Adam Zimmer it is a sport that has no off season as he is in the pool year round for club swimming, plus he swims for the Big Sky Eagles in the winter. Swimming is a family sport for Zimmer as he waited in the wings for his sister Kate Zimmer to shine in the pool before he made his way to stardom. Helen Houlihan is the swim coach for the Missoula high schools and has had the honor of coaching Adam since his freshman year. Coach Houlihan talks about Zimmer’s change during his high school career, “His first year I think he spoke maybe 10 words to me, but when Kate graduated I met this really funny, ambitious, nice, and competitive great kid.” Adam’s emergence after his sister left was a surprise to Coach Houlihan and the rest of the Eagle swimming staff.

Adam is more than just a stand out swimmer, he takes his competitive nature into he classroom. According to Coach Houlihan Adam tries to be the best at anything he does, whether that is being a good citizen, having best the breast stroke, or in the classroom. According Adam swimming has been more than just a sport, “Swimming has taught me about hard work and dedication. If you devote yourself to something it will pay of in the end. Those two things will help in school and life” One example of Adam’s want to better the world around him came less than a year ago when he spent 15 days in August of 2016 with other high school students from around the world helping offer basic health care to the different villages that make up the larger city of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Photo courtesy of Adam Zimmer

For most of the year swimming is an individual sport for Adam while he swims for the Missoula Aquatic Club, but for a brief few months he is part of the Big Sky Eagle swim team. Helen says that all of his teammates want to be like him, but one particular swimmer watches Adam in the pool with the intention of replicating Zimmer when he swims. Coach Houlihan reflects on Adam as a leader on the team, “I am not even sure he is aware of the kind of impact Adam has on his teammates at times, but they feed off of him whether he is aware of it or not.” She went on to say that they watch how focused he is on the block, watch him swim an amazing time, and then get out of the pool with a smile and encouragement to others.

Though the probability is very low to make it to the next level, Adam will be joined by fellow Missoula swimmers Cale Berkoff who will be heading to the University of Minnesota to swim and Hellgate Knight Avery Vernon who was recruited to swim at Long Island College out of Brooklyn New York. Helen Houlihan herself will receive an award this spring too. For her mentor ship as the head swim coach for the Big Sky, Hellgate, Loyola, and Sentinel swim teams since 2009, Houlihan will receive the Ed Chinske Award at the 2017 KPAX-TV Sports Awards Banquet on May 10th.

After having the privilege of coaching Adam for the past four years, Helen reflects on what she has learned from him and sums it up in one phrase, “Champions come to you in different ways.”  For Adam, he is just living out the remaining part of his high school days before getting ready for the next chapter in his life. With unlimited possibilities in front of him going to one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, Adam is interested in the medical field, but wants to take in the whole experience his first year and make a decision from there, “Swimming has gotten me to Duke and I can’t wait to see what college has in store.”