A star swimmer at the South Jersey Aquatic Club (SJAC) in Voorhees will represent his home country of Guyana at the summer Olympics in Paris later this month.
Raekwon Noel – who joined his father in the U.S. in 2021 – sought better academic and swimming opportunities beyond a shared pool in his home country that lacked a pace clock and was closed due to COVID. Noel’s mother has yet to see him swim competitively in America.
The Highland Regional High School graduate has been training for four years under the guidance of Pete Holcroft – a nationally recognized swim coach and mentor – at the township’s NL Aquatic Center. Holcroft’s training philosophy, Habits of Excellence, has earned him recognition from schools and sports programs around the world.
“Raekwon has an instinctive ability in the water combined with an unusual sense of discipline for a young man his age,” Holcroft said of his Olympics-bound swimmer. “Endurance, strength, and technique are essential qualities in a good swimmer. Noel is exceptional in all three.
“His commitment to excelling on behalf of his native country is only surpassed by his motivation to bring swimming back to the future youth of Guyana,” the coach added. “He is a winner even before he competes this summer in my book.”
Noel has represented the aquatic club and Guyana at worldwide competitions, including in countries such as Qatar, Peru, Chile, Japan and Curacao. He has committed to Indiana University and will swim for the school beginning this fall.
Meanwhile, families at NL and the acquatic center have been helping Noel with expenses related to his training and travel. They have set up a GoFundMe and are selling T-shirts at NL to raise funds.
For more information or to support Raekwon Noel, visit sjacswimming.com
