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FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Keaton Chew, South Putnam
Keaton is a senior at South Putnam and participates in three sports, cross country, swimming and track..
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Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them?
Keaton Chew: “Sports are one of the most important things to me, save my family and friends. I’ve learned a lot from sports over the years, one of the most important being how to build a good sense of who you are inside and outside of sports. You can take what you’ve learned inside and outside of school and apply it to all aspects of sports. You can use those skills to define who you are as an individual. Sports have also helped me be more persistent and determined, especially cross country, as it’s a lot of pain and hard work but it pays to put in the work and it’s a lot of fun to me.”
BG: Talk about your sports.
KC: “I’ve enjoyed cross country a lot, first starting in middle school. My dad created a running club for me, a bunch of my friends, my little brother and his friends as we always wanted to run, a thing we were always into, so that’s how we got started. I really found my love for running during the pandemic, going into my freshman year. That summer, I really got into running, started talking to the members of the high school team and that’s always been a passion of mine. I had done basketball before swimming but got to a point where I felt I wasn’t progressing and had a bunch of friends on the swim team. I figured I’d give it a try as I had connections already. That’s gone well in recent seasons as we have a conference championship and a couple of county titles. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s also interesting for me to go from being a distance runner to being a sprinter in swimming. In track, I do distance events like the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs and the 3,200-meter relay. As a freshman and sophomore, I found my love of the 800-meter run but as it has gone on, the longer distances have become more appealing.”
BG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in sports?
KC: “In swimming during my sophomore year at the county meet, I didn’t put my goggles on before a race as I had so much adrenaline pumping, I didn’t think about it. I dove into the water and lost four or five seconds trying to get the goggles back on during the race.”
BG: What does your game day routine look like?
KC: “For morning events, I try to get enough sleep in the days before, wake up early, get a light breakfast and coffee, typically read a little bit and talk to my brother a bit as he’s in all the same sports I am. We get to school, get on the bus and enjoy the first part of the ride, talking and catching up with the rest of the team. The second half, we all understand you have to get into the zone and put on your game face, so there’s only light chatting from then on as everyone develops their gameplan for how their races are going to go. Once we get there, it’s all work and no play; that’s what practices are for.”
BG: Do you have any favorite college/pro sports teams or athletes you follow?
KC: “I follow a lot of YouTube channels regarding professional runners and recently watched a documentary on Eliud Kipchoge running a two-hour marathon. I’ve been following the Diamond League where (Yared Nuguse) just broke the American mile record but he was still behind Jakob Ingebrigsten, who was close to breaking the international record.”
BG: As has been the case the past few seasons, North Putnam and South Putnam have been tied to one another at any cross country meet the two schools attend. How has having a rival so close to you at every meet helped pushed the team forward?
KC: “For our team, it gives us a great goal to look forward to. When we see those (NP) jerseys out there, even though we’re friendly with their guys and after the race, we’re friends again, during the race, it’s very much a rivalry and we push as hard as we can for every spot we can. It’s good to know at the end of the day, no matter what happens, everyone is a good sport at the end of the day and we push each other to do well.”
BG: What else do you do at school besides things involving sports?
KC: “I do a lot. I’m vice president of the FFA chapter, vice president of our student council, participate in NHS, participate in PIE Coalition, which all the county schools are involved in, a drug prevention, education and intervention project. We’ll be doing a project at, I believe, the girls’ basketball county tournament this winter.”
BG: What do you like to do outside of school and sports?
KC: “I’m a major nerd, so I like to read a lot and watch movies that are sci-fi and fantasy based. I’m very much into ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Those are my jam.”
BG: What are your favorites in reading, movies, TV and music?
KC: “For now, I’m reading ‘Dune.’ The movie of the book just came out, which inspired me to start reading the series. I play chess, Stratego and even Axis and Allies, which is a lot of fun.”
BG: Are you a person that wants to watch TV shows and movies or stream something from YouTube, Twitch, TikTok etc.?
KC: “If I knew I had some extra energy and time, I’d try to get some more training in, safely of course. I always try to hang with my family, enjoying some quality time together, eating some meals; I’m trying to get more into cooking as, going to college, you need to know how to do that. I am a YouTube watcher, mostly science stuff.”
BG: What is something you have never done before that you would like to do someday?
KC: “A triathlon or even just a marathon.”
BG: What is your biggest fear?
KC: “Heights. Not the heights, it’s the falling from them. I deal with planes pretty well but cliffs, can’t do that.”
BG: You’ve been placed in charge of making dinner. What’s on the menu?
KC: “My cooking skills aren’t very good, so it’d be something I can make in a pan, like chicken or fish. I’d have some kind of air fried vegetables and probably some ice cream for dessert.”
BG: Do you have any pets?
KC: “I have a mini Australian Shepherd, Copper, and a leopard gecko, Buddy. My brother also has two red-eared sliding turtles.”
BG: If your house were on fire, all living things were already out and you have your keys, cell phone, wallet/purse etc., what is one thing you would go back and get?
KC: “The classic answer as a runner is your shoes but something that I’ve started as a hobby lately is 3D printing. I bought a budget 3D printer recently and I’d grab that.”
BG: A family member has hit the lottery. After everything is paid off and money is set away for the future, you’ve been asked to buy something you have always wanted to get. What are you asking for?
KC: “I would want to travel and see the world. There’s a lot out there I haven’t seen; we have a limited time and I want to make the most of it by seeing how much I can.”
BG: If you were to describe your personality in one word, what would that word be and why?
KC: “Charismatic. I’m usually never left in a position where I can’t comfortably talk to anyone. I make friends quickly, fit in and make a positive influence wherever I’m at. I’m that nice guy people can talk to.”
BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?
KC: “Colorado. We went to Colorado Springs and I loved it. Something about being in the mountains is not a normal thing I’ve gotten to do and I’d love to go back there someday. Somewhere around there, maybe even Utah.”
BG: What was your favorite school field trip?
KC: “We went to the aquarium in Chicago, which was my favorite school field trip. In swimming, we got to practice at the IUPUI Natatorium.”
BG: How important is support from your family and classmates to your success?
KC: “Extremely important. A lot of high schoolers are very busy and if you want to be involved in many things, like I am, you need a lot of support from your friends and family. There’s an understanding that things are going to be stressful and if you want to have success, you need people who are willing to be behind you all the way and I’ll always be thankful to them.
BG: Describe your overall school experience both academically and athletically.
KC: “Academically, things have been great. South Putnam offers a lot of AP and dual-role classes. I’m currently taking an Ivy Tech course that I attend on campus as part of an experiment we are running this year, which has been enjoyable to me. Athletically, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been tough this year as, being a small school, recruitment is tough as a lot of people don’t want to do things anymore. Numbers are smaller for our sports teams. The quality of athletics has been outstanding despite the numbers.”
BG: If your school was to offer a class it currently doesn’t, what would you want to see taught?
KC: “Personally, for the major I want to go into, I’d love an AP physics course. Physics has always been something I’ve been interested in.”
BG: What are your plans for after high school, and what career are you headed toward?
KC: “My plan is to head to a four-year college, most likely Purdue University, looking into agricultural and biological engineering, a joint program the college of agriculture and the college of engineering at Purdue. I’m looking to be an engineer and we’ll see how it works out from there.”
BG: Is it difficult to keep up with your school work being an athlete?
KC: “I’d say time management skills are what counts. I know some people who have a hard time with that; I am a major procrastinator, so it’s a skill that I’m learning. For some people, it’s a breeze and they handle it well. It’s not easy if you want to take a lot of hard classes and still play three sports a year, but it’s well worth it if you get your homework done and stay on top of your grades.”
BG: Which particular classes and teachers have helped you the most in high school?
KC: “We have so many great teachers here at South Putnam. For our science program, Mrs. Hodge has always been a great help. For extra curriculars, the FFA advisors, Mrs. Line, Mr. Frazier and our recent addition, Mrs. Eaglin, have been helpful for me, helping me become a better speaker and writer. FFA is a great program to help in that. In math, I would be completely lost without Mrs. Dickson.”
BG: In the future, once you’ve established yourself, if you had your choice, would you want to live in the mountains, on the beach or in the neighborhood?
KC: “I can understand the appeal of living in a high-traffic area where things are flashy. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the suburban sprawl where everyone has the same house. It’s not really my thing. I prefer to live in a much more rural environment where nature is the prettiest thing around.”
BG: Do you think high school has gone fast, and are you going to miss it?
KC: “This is a trend of life for me but high school doesn’t feel fast while you’re going through it but is a blink when compared to elementary or middle school. High school has gone the fastest of the three and gets faster and faster each year. I am absolutely going to miss it. It’s a time of my life I’m going to miss, so I cherish it but I’m still happy to move on and explore what else is out there in life.”