When Brendon Fang ’22 was in elementary school, he saw a flier at his school for the swim club. Fang brought the flier to his parents, and his swimming journey began. As Fang developed as a swimmer, he gained crucial experience that has helped earn him the role of captain in his final year at Andover.
According to Fang, swimming became much more team oriented when he came to Andover. He attributed this change to the boarding school aspect, strengthening the team’s bond.
“I thought that it was just a lot of fun to be able to train with the people you’re close to. A lot of team building activities like team dinners and such made the sport a more engaging activity than I felt it was previously,” Fang said.
Leading through empathy and understanding, Fang says that as a senior, he knows what his teammates are going through. From his understanding, he strives to be accommodating.
Fang said, “I feel like I understand what people go through since I’ve been at Andover for four years. Someone struggles with classwork or they’re late sometimes, you know it’s understandable.”
Daniel Seong ’25 noted that Fang is a leader by example that younger swimmers can look up to. Fang’s hard work and focus are qualities that Seong respects.
“I practice in the lane right next to [Fang] and I can always see how hard he is working. He never slacks off, and he always tries his best in sets… his leadership is showcased by his actions in and out of the pool,” Seong wrote in an email to The Phillipian.
Fellow Co-Captain Hank Yang ’22 highlighted Fang’s progression on the team since freshman year. Yang complimented Fang’s team-oriented mindset as well as his willingness to just have fun.
“I have the utmost respect for Brendon – I have to admit I wasn’t sure how to connect with him when we first met our freshmen year, as I thought he was very quiet and timid. But now, I find Brendon to be one of the goofballs on the team. He always greets me and everyone else with a smile, and likes to add an ironic joke here and there… When it’s time to get serious though, Brendon is as selfless as one can get, as he always puts the team before himself. I remember him swimming the 100-Yard backstroke at New Englands two years ago, even when it wasn’t his best event. I hope everyone can look up to Brendon the way I do, and learn how to both have fun and work hard at the same time,” Yang wrote in an email to The Phillipian.
Fang says that even though the season was shorter than usual due to the quarantine at the beginning of the term, they have put in tremendous work and have taken advantage of the opportunities given to them.
“It’s been a very short season compared to previous years… But regardless, I think the season has been going surprisingly well, and I think everyone has been using the chances we have in the pool to improve. So even with such a limited amount of time, I think everyone has been doing their best and I think it’s been the best it could have been,” said Fang.
