NEWBERRY — Zach Sarka has been breaking swimming records on every competitive team he has been on — from the Newberry YMCA to Mid-Carolina High School and across state lines in North Carolina.
Sarka has been with three swim teams — the Newberry YMCA Eels, Mid-Carolina High School and Greensboro College. He grew up between Newberry and Lexington.
“In the first grade, I went to Newberry, then we moved to Lexington. We then left Lexington in the sixth grade, and that is when I started swimming,” said Sarka, now 19.
He started his swimming career for the Newberry YMCA Eels swim team in 2008 when he was 11 years old. When he first started, he said he wasn’t where he needed to be in his age group. He caught up the next year.
“I had a lot of wins in the long course, 500 yards freestyle and in the 200 breast stroke,” Sarka said.
While on the YMCA swim team, Sarka shattered many of their records. He broke the record for long course in a meter pool, 200 breast stroke, 400 individual medley and short course. During his last year on the Eels in 2014, Sarka garnered first place in his age division 17-18 during the Summer Championship.
“I had no idea that I broke that many records at the Newberry YMCA. I did not find out until an awards night and I was dumbfounded,” he said.
During his time with the Eels, Sarka was also swimming on the Mid-Carolina swim team. He placed first in most competitions.
“I did an awesome job when I joined the Mid-Carolina swim team. High school swimming is not as competitive as the YMCA swim team and there is no age group either,” he said.
While in high school, Sarka broke the following records for Mid-Carolina: 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 breast stroke and 100 breast stroke. He said he knew he would break records while in high school, but had no idea that it would be that many.
He graduated from Mid-Carolina in 2014 and attended Greensboro College in Greensboro, N.C., after he was recruited to attend.
“Ironically, the coach quit before I started and we got a new coach,” Sarka said. “I liked her a lot. She was like the swimming coach I had here at the YMCA, Pam Lister. She was hard but got the job done.”
While in college Sarka continued to break records. He broke the school’s record for the 500 freestyle by 30 seconds, the 200 breast stroke, 200 individual medley and his relay team broke the 200 freestyle relay record.
“While in college I knew I could do this and keep up with all those other college athletes,” Sarka said.
Sarka decided to leave Greensboro College and is now working for the Newberry YMCA as a swim instructor and the head lifeguard. He is working toward becoming a certified pool operator, which will help him run a pool in the future.
Sarka is also a coach for the Eels.
“I bring a change in the coaching style, and I like it. It is not just drill, drill, drill. Now we do a little drill, little drill, fun drill,” he said. “I’m learning that coaching can be a little bit more fun. I enjoy it a lot.”
Coaching has also brought out a bit of his competitive side. On Dec. 5, Sarka will swim in a Coaches Race against a coach in Sumter in a 100 freestyle at the pool in Northeast Columbia.
He is currently swimming with the USA Swimming League, which is like the YMCA League but more intense.
“I love it. I get to swim with people all over the world. I am training now,” he said.