Meet Charlie Houchin: Five Questions with Youth Inc.'s Swimming Ambassador

Charlie Houchin is a former competitive swimmer who excelled in freestyle relay events, earning Olympic gold in the 4×200 m freestyle relay at the 2012 London Games and additional relay gold at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships. He also captured two gold medals at the 2011 Pan American Games. After retiring from competition in 2014, Houchin founded Swimmingly, a mobile-based platform that streamlines swim meet operations by replacing traditional timing hardware with smartphone-based timing, automated scoring, and real-time results. Houchin is Youth Inc.’s swimming ambassador. We asked him five questions about his youth sports experience, life advice, and more.

1. What’s your favorite youth sports memory?

One memory is from my summer neighborhood swim meets. My dad was the “Starter” for and after my races, I’d go stand on the Starter’s platform with him and goof around.

During these summer neighborhood swim meets, I have many memories of goofing around with my teammates in between races. As a year-round swimmer, getting to just race/relax at a summer league swim meet was one of the best memories.

2. Who has been the most influential person or coach in your life?

The most influential person in my life is my dad or my brother. While we were competitive together, the leading word I would use to describe our relationship was “supportive” (then competitive!). My most influential coaches were Coach Ron (as a 15 year old swimmer) and Coach Sean (as a professional swimmer). They both had a true belief in my capabilities as well as a credible philosophy that quickly built a rapport between us. They both came into my life during two different “plateaus” seasons when many other coaches, some world class, weren’t able to help me solve the challenges. I am forever grateful to them both.

3. What’s one lesson you’ve learned through your sport that has shaped your life?

World class persistence in a young athlete is the greatest attribute. However, world class persistence in a 12 year (or 14, or 15, or 17) old athlete can be immature, bombastic, unpredictable, and, at times, brilliant. If you can master and control your world class persistence, you can be world-class at anything.

4. What advice would you give to your 10-year-old self?

I wouldn’t. He was blessed with an amazing family, and the right coaches at the right times in his life. I’d love to watch him practice and race in a few meets. I wouldn’t tell him who I was, I’d just enjoy watching him swim and race.

5. What is a motto or belief that you live by?

"Get a picture in your head of what you want, and do it."

More from Charlie Houchin

Watch Charlie's conversation with Youth Inc. founder Greg Olsen and swimming ambassador Hayes Johnson. Together, they explore what attracts young athletes to swimming—from the personal accomplishment of training to grassroots summer club experiences—and how access and team environments spark long-term interest. They discuss coaching strategies, how parents can encourage participation, and practice structures that help develop a competitive mindset.

At 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Houchin won gold in the men's 4 x 200 relay by swimming in the preliminaries. See Houchin's Team USA profile here.

Houchin also founded Swimmingly, a mobile-based platform that streamlines swim meet operations. Check out the Swimmingly website, Instagram, Facebook, or X to learn more.

For more from Charlie, follow him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.