“A Teen’s Take” column for Aug. 2, 2012
“I started taking swim lessons from age 3 through 9, and I took a lot of swims in Belle River with my cousins and family. I was 15 when I started competing. Swimming is the best cardio exercise you can possibly get; it works everything. My favorite technique is freestyle. I am also assistant coach of the Dow Westside YMCA. Coaching is challenging and I often ask myself, how can I make this guy better at learning the butterfly technique or how can I help this kid drop his time by three seconds? I enjoy my jobs as a coach and as a lifeguard, but I prefer competition because you train so hard for something, and when you achieve that goal, you feel like you have just conquered the world.”
Age: 17
School: Iberville Parish Mathematics, Science, and Arts Academy-Westside, 12th grade
Parents: Richard and Janet Campo
FAVORITES:
TV show: “MythBusters”
Movie: Anything with Clint Eastwood
Music: Godsmack, a band
Book author: John Grisham
Hangout: No preference
Role Models: His father, Uncle Nelson Landry and coach Martin Millien.
Extra: Campo is also a lifeguard for the Dow Westside YMCA swim team. “Being a lifeguard at the YMCA is a fun job to have. Most of my daily duties include emptying the pool skimmers, cleaning tiles, checking chemicals and vacuuming the pool. I have had to help struggling swimmers such as kids that are taking a swim test, but I have not had to go in and save a drowning victim.” Following high school, he plans to one day compete in triathlons or other public swimming competitions.
Chante Dionne Warren
Special to The Advocate