Gavin Egan is always willing to go the extra mile.
Even out of the water.
Egan is a senior swimmer at Holy Ghost Prep, and in order to be one of the top swimmers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, he puts in a lot of work.
Some of it is in the pool.
Some of it is in the gym.
Some of it is in the kitchen? Yeah, really.
“My diet is a big part of it. I feel so good, so much energy, I’m not cramping up, I feel really good, really good sleep,” said Egan, who lives in Somerton. “The diet is important. I eat fruit, I love fruit, I eat meat, I get it at a butcher around my area.
“And I do meal prep: I taught myself, watched a bunch of YouTube videos, went from there, got really good. I love doing it. I just cooked 30 minutes ago. I’m a big fan of scrapple, so I had scrapple, four eggs and two things of toast. It was good. I love cooking.”
The creations he concocts in the kitchen are delicious, but ever since arriving at Holy Ghost he’s been whipping up some masterful performances. Egan has also been taking a huge bite out of school records.
He started out when he, along with TJ Farrell, Liam Robinson and Brian Chewning, set a school record in the 200 freestyle relay.
The same gang of swimmers did it again in 2025 in 400 free relay, giving the foursome their second spot in the school record lineup.
Those were great accomplishments.
“It meant a lot because the first time we did it, it was exciting and then we did it again, the same guys,” Egan said. “My first school record. It meant a lot, I was the anchor of the relay smacking my hand in the water, all hyped up, hugging my coaches. Anytime you set a school record, it means a lot.”
Breaking a school record with three friends who have put in the same amount of hard work as you is a great way to get your name in the record books.
But recently, he got his name up there in an individual event.
Egan broke the school record for the 200 freestyle race, taking the record from Fred Li, who set the mark at the District One Championships in 2019.
“Originally I had the (school record) time at a club meet two weeks ago, and I broke it by over a second, so I knew I could do it,” Egan said. “I had the confidence I could do it. I said I was going to do it. And I showed it in the pool. I knew throughout the whole race, I was pacing myself, I was relaxed, as soon as I touched the wall, I knew it, then I looked at the scoreboard and was like, ‘We got it.’ It meant a lot.
“A bunch of my teammates, 15 of them, just ran right towards me. I knew what to expect because Brian Chewning set 100 fly when I was here. I was so hyped as soon as he touched the wall. He was slamming hands in the water, everyone was congratulating him. I thought I could do it, I had the confidence, and when I did it, it felt really good.”
For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Not for Egan.
He now has three school records at Holy Ghost Prep, which isn’t easy considering the talent that has graced the pools at the school.
But it doesn’t mean he’s done. Not by a long shot.
He still has a lot he wants to accomplish this year, and he still has some school records he’d love to check out before his season ends.
Those in his sights? The 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley.
The races not only show Egan has the ability to swim fast, it shows he’s not afraid to try different events, be it different strokes or relays.
“I had one of my coaches at Ghost, he helped me with the different strokes,” Egan said. “He does his best to help me perfect them. He was an IM swimmer, too, so that helps me when I”m in the pool. It can get stressful doing different strokes, but it’s good to be well rounded. It helps at dual meets, too, I can do anything to score points.”
After high school, he hopes to major in nursing, possibly at Fairfield or Immaculata. More than likely, the honor student will swim in college.
“My mom is a nurse and she always talks about her job and loves it,” Egan said. “Over the summer I shadowed her in the ER, I thought it was something I could do. So engaging. It’s a team effort, I like that a lot. I loved it. I never sat down during the six hours I was with her, it was hectic, but I liked it.”
He credits having great role models with getting him ready for the future, as well as the present.
“All of my coaches, but my assistant coach Andrew Iannacone, he’s been my believer, pushed me since Day 1, he talks to me after practice, he believes in me. Pushes me through hard sets, yells when I’m racing so I can hear, he’s been there since Day 1. I love his energy, he’s like a brother to me, that’s what he is.
“And my biggest supporters are definitely my parents. My parents are incredible. They take me to practice, meets, buy me food so I can meal prep. I love what they do. They sacrificed so much for me. I couldn’t do any of this without them.”
