Swimmer Sean Twomey is not your typical first-year athlete. In many athletes’ first years, they try to learn the ropes of college life while gaining a grasp of what college athletics are like.

This is not the case for Twomey. In just his second ever college swim meet, Twomey put his aquatic talent on full display, recording a time of 4:12.72 in the 400 yard individual medley. The time was the best in the University Athletic Association (UAA) for that week’s meets and the second best all season.

He also received UAA Athlete of the Week for his incredible performance. Case Western Reserve University has a unique talent on their hands as Twomey will only continue to grow.

The transition from high school to college athletics is different for everybody, but there is often an increase in work intensity. Twomey explained that he has consistently found himself working much harder than he used to as there is much more talent all around. Although there is more pressure to perform well, Twomey emphasized that swimming is something he really enjoys. Though there is a different atmosphere in college, he easily adapted to the change.

As with most athletes, time dedication to the sport does present a significant challenge. Twomey said that the swim team practices for two hours, six days a week. Plus, the team does lifting and dry land sessions, so he has to carve huge chunks of time out of his day for the sport. The notorious 6:00 a.m. practice is the roughest practice they have according to Twomey.

Twomey referenced Michael Phelps for his strong determination saying, “If you want to be the best, you have to be willing to do things other people aren’t willing to do.”

Twomey really sets himself apart from the rest of typical first-year students outside of the pool. He loves volunteering his extra time to Spartans for Special Olympics, Best Buddies Ohio and the Cleveland Clinic. He truly just wants to be able to help people less fortunate. Every time he sees a child get past an obstacle and succeed, Twomey radiates joy.

Twomey’s passion for others does not end with volunteering. He is pursuing a degree in psychology in order to help him communicate with future patients more effectively. He hopes that his experiences in psychology will help him in medical school and lead to a job as a cardiologist.

Twomey said, “A problem with medical interactions for doctors is that they don’t always see patients as people, but rather as objects that they have to deal with, so learning how to communicate with other people is something that is important to me.”

Twomey also participates in the pre-medical fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon in order to network with others of similar job interests, and also helps put on events for the CWRU community like the Anatomy Fashion Show. Once again, Twomey emphasizes that he is trying to be part of activities that allow him to give back to the community and help others.

Although swimming is a huge passion for Twomey, he recognizes that he can play an instrumental role in other people’s lives by pursuing his other passion of becoming a doctor. His values of community, volunteering and determination makes his pursuit of becoming a doctor for the benefit of others all the more exciting.