The SwimLight: Getting to Know Chris Guiliano
Chris Guiliano, a junior from Notre Dame, has recently made a name for himself in the world of competitive swimming. As a qualifier and medalist on Team USA’s Worlds squad this past summer, he has proven to be a formidable presence in the pool. His accomplishments while at Notre Dame showcase his progress in the water and the promising performances awaiting him at upcoming championship meets.
During an exclusive interview, Guiliano shares insights into the development of his swimming career, offering valuable advice to his younger self and providing details about his training routine as he prepares for the highly anticipated 2024 Olympic Trials. In addition to his achievements in the pool, Guiliano highlights not only his strong bond with his teammates but also the individuality of the sport of swimming. With his eyes fixed on the future, Guiliano reveals his wide range of interests, from playing golf to engaging in fierce Mario Kart battles with his teammates. In this captivating interview, Chris Guiliano shines as one of the country’s latest elite sprint freestylers and has a narrative that goes beyond the lanes of a swimming pool.
How did you get into swimming?
“So when I was around eight years old, my brother was the one who really got me into it. He was always swimming. So being eight years old, I always had to go to his morning practices over the summer. I was playing soccer and football and like every other sport, at this point. At his morning practices, his coaches would always try to get me in the pool just because my brother was swimming. They always saw me out there, but I always refused. Then one day, it was scorching hot out so early in the morning, and the public pool didn’t open till noon. So I thought, ‘You know what? I’m just going to get in today.’ That’s that, you know. All because I was hot one day. But it’s great just to be able to say that my brother got me into it.”
What was your favorite moment while swimming collegiately at Notre Dame?
“Individually, probably the 200 free at ACCs last year. That was probably my best individual moment because it was just like that first accomplishment, really. I didn’t swim A final my freshman year at ACCs, and then to be able to come back the next year and win it in an event that I didn’t even final in the previous year was just really special. I feel like that just kickstarted everything collegiately. Also, last year, I think we got the A cut in the 400 free relay. It was the last relay of the meet. It was pretty much our last chance to get the A cut. We were able to clutch up there at ACCs last year too, and that was just a great moment for team, and just to be able to get all the relays to swim at NCAAs was pretty special.”
Today, what swimming advice would you give your younger self?
“Just take things day by day. Progress doesn’t happen overnight. That’s one thing I’ve started to realize: taking things just one practice at a time, or just one day at a time. And more of that is just outside of the pool, or in the classroom, or diet stuff, or in the weight room. You don’t have to be perfect at every single moment of the day, either. Just be able to learn from mistakes, be able to learn from things, and just apply it to the future.”
What is your favorite thing about the sport of swimming?
“Just swimming as a whole. I don’t know if I’d be able to do it without my teammates. Just being able to have that supporting group and having a lot of people that you could lean on for support about anything is pretty incredible. Being able to go through the physical and mental pain of things throughout training and then being able to produce results just shows that there is a reason for this and that everything you’re working for does work out. Sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s the mental side of it—just being able to bounce back. Truly, the one thing that I enjoy about swimming is that it’s all on you. You don’t have to really rely on anyone else. You can’t make excuses because someone didn’t do this or someone didn’t do that. So that’s the one thing I really enjoy about it, is that I can’t make any excuses for anything I do.”
What is your training looking like leading up to the Olympic Trials next year?
“I think the primary focus for the first half of the second semester in 2024 will probably just be more short course focus, especially leading up to NCAAs. So we’ll get good work in there. I don’t know if my coach has a plan for me for the ACCs or what I’m going to do for that. Once NCAAs is finished up, we’ll probably hit the ground running again. We’ll probably just get straight into long course, and I’ll really train for the 50, 100, and maybe the 200. But my focus for this upcoming year is definitely the 100. That’s probably what we’ll be focusing on.”
If you could watch one tv show or movie for the rest of your life what would it be?
“I would love to say Game of Thrones, but Season 8 really threw things off of that. So I probably have to go with Breaking Bad. My favorite movie is probably the Shawshank Redemption though.”
If you had to describe yourself with a flavor of ice cream what flavor would you chose and why
“Salted Caramel. I don’t know if that would describe me well, but I think there’s a lot of sweetness within me. Sometimes I could be a little critical of some people in a joking way. I love trying to get other people’s skin. So maybe that’s where the saltiness comes from.”
What’s the most unexpected or unique hobby that you have outside of swimming?
“I mean, I’m terrible at this, but I love going out and playing some golf with the guys. My game definitely needs to improve, though. But we do play a lot of Mario Kart here, and it’s very competitive between all of us. I think that was my fun fact from over the summer for the World’s Team. We really get into it, and there’s always some power rankings or something like that, especially between my roommates and me. But I would say we’re probably the top three on the team.”
If you weren’t a swimmer, what other sport would you choose to do and why?
“If I were to dedicate myself, like I have to swimming, it probably would have been to football. When I was younger, when I was eight, I actually always wanted to come to Notre Dame. That was where I wanted to go. I wanted to play football here. But obviously, God had a different plan for me in order to swim and get here. I’m really grateful for that, but I always dreamed of playing football here. That kind of came from one of my younger football coaches. Every touchdown during the game, the Notre Dame fight song would play over the loudspeakers. It was great. So it was planted in my mind pretty early that I wanted to come here.”
You’re granted three wishes. What are they? (And you can’t ask for more wishes.)
“I’d probably wish my family good health moving forward down the line. So that would be one. Just everyone lives a nice, healthy, long life. I would also want to travel to every country, and my last wish would be maybe just becoming a crazy good chef. I would want to be able to create some crazy dishes, and I just think that would be really cool.”
What are your thoughts on pineapple pizza?
“Oh man. I’m going to say no. But if it’s there, I will have a slice. I don’t think it’s bad, but if I’m ordering a pizza, I’m not getting pineapple on it. I think it might be a pride thing. I don’t think it’s a taste thing because I don’t think it’s a bad taste. I just can’t bring myself to go untraditional.”
*The current count is now 1 vote for pineapple on pizza, 4 votes for no pineapple on pizza for The SwimLight series*
If you won the lottery today, what is the first thing you would do with the money?
“The first thing I’d probably do is just take a lot of it out and just save it. I don’t know how much would come out in taxes. I have to think about how much is going to Uncle Sam. I mean, I would probably want to invest it. Invest it and save it, and then with what I have leftover, I’d probably make a big purchase. Maybe like a nice car. A dream car is probably a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley, or something like that. I’d also probably want to buy my parents a nice home, like a nice vacation home. That’s what I would want to do. Just being able to take care of them as well and give back to all that they’ve given me. So probably save it, invest it, and buy them a home somewhere nice for my parents, maybe somewhere in Florida.”
Fun Fact: If Chris Guiliano could have a lifetime supply of anything, it would be milk!
“Honestly, I’d probably say milk. I’m a huge milk-drinker. It wouldn’t just be convenient for me; it would also be convenient for some other people. If anyone were to say, ‘Hey Chris, I need a glass of milk,’ I’d be right there. There’s been plenty of times where I’ve been at a restaurant and a dessert would come out, and it would be a piece of chocolate cake, and they wouldn’t have milk. That’s just one thing I’d really like to have.”