A year and a half ago, I had never swum competitively. This fall, I'll be training in France with the coach who built Léon Marchand.
My name is Charlie Hall. I'm 18, a senior at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, and I'm asking for your help to chase something I've come to love more than I expected.
I came to competitive swimming late. Growing up in Solvang, California, serious training just wasn't available to me. When I decided I wanted to earn a swimming scholarship to Stanford, I knew I had to make a change, so I moved to San Diego to train properly and give myself a real shot. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the right one.
My times have improved dramatically. I'm close, about 1 second away in the 50 freestyle, 2 seconds in the 100. In swimming, those margins are everything. To close that gap, I'm taking a gap year to train with the best coaches I can find. This summer, that means working with elite sprint coach, Coley Stickles in Dallas. And after that, I have an opportunity that still doesn't feel real. I’ve been accepted into the training program at Les Dauphins du TOEC in Toulouse, France, under coach Nicolas Castel. Nico developed Léon Marchand, the Olympic world record holder. He told me he genuinely can't remember the last time an American got into their program.
I got in.
Six months in Toulouse, housing, food, club training and flights, runs about $20,000. My dad has supported me every step of the way, but this one is beyond what our family can manage right now. That's why I'm here.
I've fallen completely in love with this sport. My father won 10 Olympic medals. My grandfather won three. I'm not riding that legacy. I'm building my own. And I'd be so grateful to have you be part of it. I'm not asking for a shortcut. I'm asking for the chance to see how far my work can take me.
If you believe in that kind of thing, please consider sharing this or contributing what you can. It means more than I know how to say. Thank you!
Charlie Hall
Charlie's 6-Month Budget in Toulouse, France - Shared apartment, normal swimmer lifestyle
Housing (shared $875/mo) $5250
Swimming (club fees, meets) $1,200
Food (high-calorie diet) $4,000
Transportation $1,600
Health insurance $600
Life & Misc $1,900
Phone & Technology $1,210
One-Time Costs: Flight + apartment setup + registration fees $3,000 - $3,500
Total All-In: ~$20K