DANVILLE — Charles Medlin has fought for a moment like Friday and he took it all in.
The senior swimmer from Schlarman Academy signed a letter of intent to continue his career at the University of Illinois-Chicago at Paul Shebby Gym.
“For me, UIC felt right,” Medlin said. “It was my second visit and they were so nice and the coach and teachers were very involved. It is not that far for me and it felt like the right fit for me. I like the city feel and I think UIC gets that perfectly. You are on campus but also Chicago is out there and there are chances with networking and the nightlife.”
For Medlin, it was a culmination of many years of hard work and overcoming an down period a couple of years ago.
“I just have so much love for the sport,” Medlin said. “Everyone has times in their career that you plateau and I had that a couple of years ago and I worked through it. Having a good mentality about it was how I got through it personally. I learned that even if the time is not what you wanted as long as you raced the right way correctly and stuck to your plan, I feel no race is a failure.”
Medlin was also helped by teammates in school and club competition as well as his family.
“I would say my teammates definitely helped,” Medlin said. “Through club swimming, we had different teammates that have helped me push through that. My family and friends told me to remember that it is a hole in the water and it could not affect you more than thinking about it makes you.”
After signing his letter, Medlin’s sister — 2020 Schlarman graduate Grace Medlin — spoke about her brother before Medlin got up to talk.
“It was definitely very touching. She read it to me a few times before when she was practicing,” Medlin said. “It might have hit a little harder if I heard it here but I felt that a lot. She is truly one of my biggest inspirations in the sport because she did get me into it and the rest is history.”
Medlin thanked his sister, along with mother Carol Wade and father Scott Medlin, who helped in different ways.
“My mom is the bus when it comes to that. She takes me to the meets and practice when I started and she still drives me today,” Medlin said. “We are about to go to a meet now and she is going to take me there, so she is always there. She gets plane tickets for bigger events like Winter Juniors in Austin, Texas and the YMCA nationals in Greensboro, N.C. She boasts that she has never missed one of my swim meets in the last 12-13 years. Even when she had COVID, she stood outside a window in November to watch me, so she has been there for me every step of the way.
“He’s (Scott Medlin) the motivational side of things. He is very proud of me and tells me that in every turn. He might not understand as much as my mom, but he is one of the first to say get better and he wants me to go that extra mile.”
Medlin broke through last season in making the IHSA state meet in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events and with the decision about his future made, he can focus on his trying to return to state competition.
“Definitely getting that weight off my shoulders is a great thing. Knowing that my future is pretty secure and I know where I am going,” Medlin said. “I know that if this season doesn’t go according to plan, I know I have my college regardless of the how the season goes. I hope it goes well and I am pretty good about sectionals this year, so it is great to get the weight off and I am looking toward the future.”