Haverford High swimmer David Abrahams is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week

The Harvard University-bound senior is a two-time Central League champion in the 100 breaststroke. He also finished first in the 100 breast at the Delco Invitational, and placed fourth at last year’s PIAA state championships in the event. Abrahams also finished second in the 200 IM at the Central League Championships, where he also was a member of the Fords’ champion medley relay team. An All-American for 100 breaststroke in 2018, Abrahams finished eighth at Speedo Junior Nationals for 200 breaststroke last August. He will receive a PA Sports Hall of Fame (Delco Chapter) Scholar Athlete Award at a luncheon March 12.

Q: What has been your best 100 breast swim to date, and what was particularly working for you that day?

A: My best 100 breast swim this season was probably at Delco’s.  I was sick going into the race, and had done a practice set in the morning so I was completely unrested, but I had a positive outlook and felt like going fast.  I was pretty happy with that 55.7 for an untapered, midseason race.

Q: What was your most memorable experience at the Central League Championships this year?

A: I always like swimming at Central Leagues; part of what makes it so memorable is the meet rituals – we bleach our hair every year – and the cheering at the beginning of the meet.  Inevitably our Haverford cheer involves a banana suit, so we try to come up with fresh skits every year to keep it fun.

Q: Tell us a little about your participation in Speedo Junior Nationals last August. What was your most memorable experience there?

A: Summer Junior Nationals this past summer was really awesome as it was my first race at the national level.  I was not seeded very well (31st) but had a break out prelim in 200 breast, finishing fifth and earning a spot at A finals.  Lots of college coaches go to these meets and I was pretty busy talking with them after my races were done.  I don’t think I was prepared for the level of interest that was generated.  It was a lot of fun.

Q: What aspect of your swimming have you been working on the most recently?

A: My natural stroke seems to be working for me, so I wanted to speed up the aspects of my races that I had struggled with in the past, like starts, pullouts and turns.

Q: Can you walk us through a typical day, or cycle, of training?

A: A typical week is 12 training hours in the pool, spread over six days, plus lifting with a personal trainer three days a week.  Aside from winter break, I don’t do two-a-days.  Dual meets cut into practice time, so I try to make club practice on meet days during dual season when I can, to make up the training.

Q: What pool did you first swim for? What is your favorite swimming venue, and why?

A: Karakung (summer) swim club was the first pool I competed for.  My absolute favorite venue is the outdoor long course pool in Irvine, Calif., where Junior Nationals were held. It is a beautiful facility, with sprinklers, multiple warm up pools, and a very fast competitive pool.  My biggest successes have happened in long course pools, so I am partial to them.

Q: Who have been your biggest swimming mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you?

A: I have been very fortunate to have amazing swim coaches throughout my training, but there are three that have really had an impact on me:

• Dave Hart (Baldwin Swim Club):  Taught me to love the sport and to take a more chilled-out approach to my races.
• Jeremy Byrne (Radnor Aquatic Club):  Taught me how to train hard and execute my races when it really mattered.
• Matt Stewart (Haverford High School): Taught me what it meant to be on a team and the technical ins and outs of swimming and competing.

Q: Tell us a little about your pre-meet preparation the day of a meet.

A: I tend to eat a very big meal about four hours before my first race – lots of balanced calories.  I focus on getting lots of sleep the night before, and I nap about two hours before racing if I can.  Once at the meet I am pretty social, until 15 minutes before my race.  At that point I am in count-down mode and I execute my race plan in my head and get energized to race. 

Q: What is your favorite academic course at Haverford?

A: AP Comp Sci – l like the problem solving aspects of it and learning an entirely new subject is always interesting.

Q: What do you think you might major in at Harvard?

A: Economics and/or applied math.

Q: Is there a particular career path that interests you at the present time?

A: I want to manage a hedge fund some day.

Fun facts – David Abrahams
Favorite book:   Firestarter.
Favorite author: Stephen King.
Favorite TV show:  Game of Thrones.
Favorite movie:  American Psycho.
Favorite athlete:   Adam Peaty or Kosuke Kitajima.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song:   Gotta Fly Now (Rocky theme).
Favorite place to visit:  Point Peninsula, N.Y.
Favorite pre-meet meal:  Ravioli, Caesar salad, chocolate milk.
Person I most admire: “My mom – because she is always sacrificing her time for me and gives me the love and support it takes to get me through my day and my training cycles.”
Siblings: three older brothers Edward, Andrew and James.

(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)