Colin McGill sat in a training room, looked at his hand squeezing a ball and felt he would never be the swimmer he once was.
He did this tedious exercise with the same ball for what seemed to him, to be forever.

The promising recruit from Champaign could only sit and think of the excitement he felt his freshman year when he helped his team set new school records in the 200-Medly and 200-Free as part of the relay teams.

Last October, McGill prepared hard for Eastern’s meet against IUPUI.
This was no ordinary competition for McGill.
McGill was excited to swim against the man who recruited him to Eastern, Matt Bos.

“I could not wait for this meet,” McGill said. “I had huge expectations especially since my ex-coach was coaching his new team.”

But what started as excitement before his race in the 100-Free, soon turned into agony.

“It was after the first turn, and when I came off the wall, I caught the wave on my left arm,” McGill said. “I heard it pop and I knew right then and there that it was my shoulder.”

McGill is no stranger to swimming as he raced in his first meet at three years old.
He and his brothers, Elliot and Tyler, all began to swim at a young age in a country club in Champaign.

“Our mom never knew how to swim so she wanted us to learn right away,” he said.

The trio of brothers have all raced competitively throughout their lives, and after a stellar freshman year, McGill said he was hoping to ascend on the Eastern swim squad.
But it was during his sophomore campaign that he first injured his rotator cuff, a vital structure to the function of your shoulders.

Despite the injury, McGill battled through the pain and was able to improve on some times.

“Even though the injury hindered me as a swimmer I felt I had taken the next step because I got through it and I was still able to compete,” he said.

After his sophomore season was over, he opted for more rehab instead of having surgery on his shoulder.

Heading into his junior year, McGill had big plans to step up as an upperclassman and be a leader on the team.
One thing he did not see coming was who his new coach would be.

Elliot McGill served as an assistant to the team prior to being named the head coach, and the two brothers already established somewhat of a different relationship.

McGill said it is difficult trying to balance his relationship with his brother since he is now his coach.

“At first it was difficult seeing him as my coach, but what made it easier was knowing that once I stepped into the pool it was clear he was my coach, and all he was telling me came from a coaching perspective,” McGill said.

McGill said he feels that no one on the team has any wrong impressions seeing one of the swimmers be a brother to the coach.

“(Elliott) expects the same from everyone on the team,” McGill said. “I’m no different.”

Although trying to balance his relationship with his brother being coach can be difficult, McGill faced a much bigger battle during the winter of his junior year, injuring his shoulder yet again.

“I had so many emotions running through my head then,” McGill said. “I’ve never felt that much pain ever before.”

A couple weeks later, the dejected swimmer had surgery to help repair his shoulder.

“After the surgery, I felt horrible,” he said. “Aside from the pain, I had to sleep in a chair for a while, and I didn’t know if I could ever swim again.”

Yet, things got worse for McGill.

As McGill began his rehab, sitting in the athletic training room, holding the ball, squeezing it over and over again, he still thought the worse.

“I started off rehab at the lowest point possible,” McGill said. “The simple task of having to squeeze a ball just to start to get my strength back just made me feel like there was no end to the process.”

As the months passed he was able to regain his strength, and with his spirits up again, he returned to the pool with his teammates in March.

McGill looks back and said he still cannot believe how much things have changed in such little time, and he has one set of people to thank.

“I’ve never felt better than I do now, and it’s all due to the great athletic training staff we have here at Eastern,” he said.

Despite going through ups and downs during his collegiate career, McGill said this past summer he experienced something he will always cherish.

His brother, Tyler, is an Olympic gold medalist.

Tyler was a part of the first place 4×100 Medley Relay team for the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
He swam in the preliminary round for the United States, and also competed in the 100-meter fly, finishing in seventh place.

But this journey all began in Omaha, Neb., where McGill saw his brother finish second in the 100-meter butterfly, qualifying for the 2012 games.

“It was almost agonizing watching him swim,” McGill said.

In London, McGill was accompanied by a group of almost 15 other friends and family to see Tyler swim.

“It was like he had his own little fan club in the stands,” he said.

McGill said watching his brother swim in the preliminary round was nerve racking, and that he could barely watch the race.

“It was a great moment, I’m not sure how I can even describe it,” McGill said. “It was surreal.”

McGill said he felt very fortunate being able to share the moment with his brother and the rest of his family.

“It was amazing seeing him realize his dream, and we right there with him,” he said. “I will always have this great memory in mind.”

Aldo Soto can be reached at 581-2812 or asoto2@eiu.edu.