EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School swimmer Spencer Sholl had an early and probably one of his best Christmas presents ever last Thursday in a dual meet against O’Fallon at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center.
Sholl captured first place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a clocking of 1:08.22. It wasn’t just the first place victory that caused Sholl to clinch his hand with jubilation and splash the water all over. For Sholl, it was his return to competitive swimming after a year of being absent because of double shoulder surgery.
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Edwardsville head boys coach Christian Rhoten said an outsider watching the race might have observed Sholl winning the breaststroke and not thought anything about it, but it was a big deal to Sholl and his teammates.
“Spencer has been swimming since he was a kid and last year he went through two full-on shoulder surgeries,” Rhotten said. “Usually, after shoulder surgery, you can come back better and feel better. For him, it was just really putting the cap on. He is back and he has has put a lot into getting back to where he is. It was a good swim and was exciting to watch.”
Sholl said he suffered a torn tendon in each of his shoulders last year and had them repaired at separate times.
“I had the first surgery in November of last year on one and had other one worked on during spring break this year,” he said. “I got in and started training a couple months ago toward the end of summer and just got back into it. This is my first home meet coming back in a year.”
For Sholl, winning the race after the trauma of surgery and months of recovery, made him feel like he was back on top.
“It was just a really overwhelming experience,” he said. “I have done this sport since I was nine. To not being able to swim is super hard and especially today, I am so happy with it.
“I went to therapy every day. When I started from both surgeries, I couldn’t lift my arm up to my side. Progressively over time, I got more motion with it to where I could lift my arm over my head. I started getting back in slowly.”
The EHS senior swimmer has loved his time as a member of the Edwardsville Breakers and as a Tiger.
“When I started we had very few people and we had some really good swimmers who were really good role models for me like Peter Beyers and Jake Gremaud,” he said. “Over the years, you have so many people who are so talented and bring great motivation and atmosphere to this team. We are prospering better than ever.”
Sholl thanked his family, teammates, coaching staff and those who helped him in physical therapy for their support during the past year to help him get back in the pool.
He had some memorable words to describe his EHS swim teammates: “I will tell this to anybody: I say we are not a team, they are my family. I call them my brothers and I mean it when I say it.”
