From the first time Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé seniors Lucia Chapell and Pacific Ricke met as young kids at the pool they quickly became friends! and that friendship grew as fast as the lanes they swam in.
“I think she is one of the most dedicated and hard-working people that I have met!” Ricke said as she and Chapell on Thursday shared the experience of signing to colleges together at Juneau’s Augustus Brown Pool. “And whatever it is! she is always going to be there and she is always going to be trying and giving it her all. And I really admire that quality in her.”
Ricke signed a letter of intent to attend and swim at
Bates College in Lewiston! Maine! and Chapell signed to Colorado College in Colorado Springs! Colorado.
“I think that our connection is pretty special!” Chapell said of Ricke. “I know that she is always open to talk about anything. She is always there for me and I am always there for her. I feel like we also really push each other in the pool. I admire how hard she works at everything in and out of the pool! and that really inspires me and makes me look forward to seeing her every day.”
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior swimmers Pacific Ricke and Lucia Chapell share a moment before signing national letters of intent to become student-athletes at Bates College and Colorado country wise email marketing list College! respectively! Thursday at Augustus Brown Pool. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Born in Juneau and transported to Haines by ferry and family days after! the two swimmers grew up competing with the Haines Dolphins Swim Club. Parents Sara and Richard Chapell! and Kirsten Amann and Dave Ricke! put them into swimming early.
“They grew up in the pool together since the
were little babies!” Sara Chapell said. “They both decided they wanted to swim in college and when Lucia told us that we said! ‘Well! we should probably take you to Juneau.’ The process of looking for colleges ricke sign to swim at colorado and bates starts between sophomore and junior years! and it was pretty easy for us to make the transition so we did it.”
The two swimmers had already been included in the clean email Glacier Swim Club fold as they are “Southeast kids!” meaning that if a Southeast swim club sends one or a couple swimmers to a meet! if needed! GSC coaches and swimmers take them under their wing…GSC would be “their other swim family.”