The Camas High School (CHS) boys swim team has had an exceptional season, with many swimmers reaching their personal bests. The captains of the CHS boys swim team are Muhammad Rafique, Aarnav Krishna, and Rafael Lavagnino, who have gone on to foster a welcoming and competitive atmosphere for both new and returning swimmers. 

However, one member of the CHS boys swim team stands out, Krishna, who recently beat the CHS record for the 100 backstroke at state, with a final time of 53.03. 

“[This year] I was the district champion in three out of four of my events, ” Krishna said. “I broke the team record at districts, going a 53.19, but then next weekend at state I [reached my personal best] with [a time of] 53.03 [seconds.]”

Breaking the record was a difficult feat for Krishna because he was having some setbacks due to injuries and swimming burnout, but he persevered regardless of these complications. 

Despite that, there is more to Krishna than just his fast times. Krishna has a major role on the swim team as captain, with higher expectations [placed on him] and lower-classmen who look up to him.

“This year I had to play a bigger role in the team, [as] I’m looked up to by all the lowerclassmen,”  Krishna said. “It’s been a good experience [being the captain of the swim team.] I didn’t think I had a shot, but apparently everybody else knew that I would be a really good captain, and I had a lot of support from the team.”

His swim teammates attest to the fact that Krishna has stepped into the role of captain and helped to set a good example for the team. 

“I’ve known Aarnav since 8th grade. I didn’t like him at first, but then I got to know him better in swim during junior year, and I started liking him a lot, [especially as captain,]” Steven Kim, a CHS senior and a member of the boys swim team, said.

Swimming is a sport known for its dedication, as it requires a lot of work to consistently improve. Even with this challenge, Krishna has gone beyond.

“[There’s a lot of] dedication and discipline you need to do swimming itself, [swim] helps me become a more focused and goal-oriented person. [My coaches and my parents] have definitely motivated me, but eventually, I had to take up that motivation on my own. When I set my mind to something, I’m going to work as hard as possible to achieve that goal,” Krishna said. “I’m thankful to my teammates, my coach, and all the other people in life who support me through my journey.”

Krishna started out swimming at a young age since his mom was a national swimmer, so it was important for him to find his own motivation because starting out so young was making it difficult for him to stay motivated. 

Kelly Dean, who is the head coach of the CHS boys swim team, has watched Krishna grow ever since his freshman year and has actively supported his role as the lead captain of the swim team. 

“Aarnav is genuinely the heart of our team. He leads by example with his work ethic, attitude, and determination. Aarnav overcame obstacles with his self-confidence and mental focus to get this place,” Dean said. “It has been such a joy to watch him grow individually and to lead our team to the best season ever. I am so proud of him.”

The support that his coaches have given him has helped him balance out his time between swim and school. 

“My coaches have a good understanding that education is pretty important in my life, so just being there for me [and acknowledging] that I can do both and still succeed,” Krishna said.

Outside of swim, Krishna holds a lot of obligations, which have helped him progress in his future career.

Krishna makes plans to go into pre-med. To prepare for that, he has taken advantage of the AP science classes offered at CHS. He has also volunteered for over 600 hours, with most of that being at Peacehealth Southwest Medical Center.

Additionally, Krishna also participates in the Science Olympiad team, which further enhances his knowledge of science as he continues to dedicate his time to research.

“I’ve spent the last couple of years competing in Science Olympiad and competed at a national level invitational at Princeton recently,” Krishna said. “I’ve also done an internship at Georgetown University, studying neuroscience and working on publishing a medical research paper.”

With his pursuit of going into medicine, Krishna also has other responsibilities stemming from his passion for helping those around him, including an internship with a non-profit organization in Nigeria. 

“We created services to send out to Nigerian villages and created a health workshop for those problems to help benefit their lives,” Krishna said. 

Krishna also co-founded a tutoring organization in Portland to help students from low-income schools who are struggling with English and math skills.

“We partnered with a teacher who was able to connect with other schools and get more students in,” Krishna said. “There are about six or seven tutors. Every Sunday I go into this community center and we tutor around 20 children from ages K-12.”

Krishna has been able to effectively balance his time, despite having many personal responsibilities to attend to.

“In freshman year I struggled with [balancing my time],” Krishna said. “Over time, I eventually figured it out and did better in school, although it’s still hard.” 

Close friends of Krishna have also taken note of his devotion and positive attitude, which quickly spreads to the people around him.

“I’ve known Aarnav since 6th grade, when he moved here from India,” senior Yugg Nanavati said. “Aarnav has really evolved as a person over the last six years, with [balancing] school and swim [and] his devotion to getting better really inspires me.”