Union College freshman Jaedon Lynch heads to Netanya, Israel next week to compete in the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships 2023 (WAJSC). He’s one of approximately 600 youth swimmers from around the world convening for the Sept. 4-9 meet, to be held in Netanya's Wingate Institute. As he holds dual nationality in both the UK and Jamaica, he will represent the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ).

“I’m excited to travel,” Lynch says.

The 17-year-old arrived in Barbourville, Kentucky from his home in Kent, England in mid-August. Since then, he’s been training with head swim coach Ryan Winders at the Union College Center for Health & Learning. The Center features an Olympic-sized swimming pool like the one in Israel where Jaedon will compete.

Lynch’s prior training was in short course meters, which is 25 meters in one direction. Union’s facility allows for long course meters, which is 50 meters in one direction, in addition to both 25-meter and 25-yard set-ups.

“That's been a real bonus for us to train him that way,” Winders says. “Every day is just letting him feel what the pool is going to be like in Israel. It’s definitely an advantage for Jaedon to feel it and know what his races will feel like.”

Union’s facilities and access to training resources are part of what drew Lynch to the school. When he first visited Union’s aquatics center, he says he was shocked.

“I didn’t realize it was that good,” Lynch says.

Generous sponsors help provide Union’s swim team with all the equipment needed for top-tier training. The team has access to fins, paddles, snorkels, bands, parachutes, technical suits, and other gear.

Also, Union houses one of only three Olympic-size pools in Kentucky. Of the three facilities, only Union’s includes a hot tub. Lynch’s training regimen involves alternating between the regular pool and the hot tub at the end of each practice session to help his muscles recuperate and clear lactic acid.

When he competes in Israel, Lynch will have multiple back-to-back events, and he plans to use this same “warm down” technique in between to stay limber and get his heart rate down. He’s scheduled for seven heats during the morning sessions of World Juniors:

• 9/4       100 Breaststroke

4 x 100 Freestyle Relay

• 9/5       Mixed 4 x 100 Medley Relay
• 9/6       Mixed 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay
• 9/8       100 Freestyle

50 Breast

• 9/9       Men’s 4 x 100 Medley

If he makes it from the heats to the semis, he will compete in additional afternoon events.

Beyond his excellence as an athlete, Lynch is very focused on academics. He plans to major in actuarial science and says he appreciates that Union is a private school with small class sizes.

“He has the ability to excel at both academics and athletics,” Winders says. “That's the kind of person I want on the team.”

Winders notes that in many countries, once students finish high school (or the equivalent), they must choose between athletics or academics. He wants them to know that at Union, they will be supported to pursue both.

Lynch first began training in Jamaica at age 11 and qualified for the national trials soon after. In 2018, at age 12, he represented the country at both the Caribbean Swimming Championships (part of the CARIFTA Games) and at the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Federation (CCCAN). He has competed in both meets multiple times since.

Union’s swim team is currently made up of 19 members, and Winders hopes to gradually grow the roster to 40. He wants swimmers around the world to know that whether they are competing internationally like Jaedon or going for their national championships, Union has the resources to prepare them.

When Lynch is asked what his main motivation is, he considers for a moment and then confidently replies, “I want to be successful.” He hopes to make it to the Olympics one day and says he is prepared to work hard to get there.

Union College is a private, liberal arts-based institution comprised of undergraduate and graduate programs. With a student-faculty ratio of 15 to 1, Union provides personal, individualized education that promotes intellectual, spiritual, and physical development in a diverse academic environment.

To learn more about the swim team, contact Ryan Winders at rwinders@unionky.edu. To learn more about the aquatic facilities see Union Center for Health & Learning (unionkycenter.com).