Darian Townsend
Darian Townsend
QUICK STATS
- Birthdate: August 28, 1984
- Hometown: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Club Team: Phoenix Swim Club
- College: University of Arizona
- Coaches: Frank Busch, Rick DeMont
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter freestyle relay
- World Record holder in the 400-freestyle relay (2004) and the 200 individual medley (2009)
- 8-time NCAA Champion
EXPERIENCE
Olympic gold medalist Darian Townsend says that the life lessons he learned from swimming shaped him into the person he is today, “I learned that the harder and more consistently I practice, the better my chances of being successful. That led to a belief in myself, and trust that I would reach my goals!”
Darien grew up in South Africa, participating and excelling in multiple sports. He focused on swimming when he moved to the U.S. for college at the University of Arizona under the leadership of Frank Busch and Rick DeMont. “Frank and Rick are coaches who I learned a great deal from, and who’s philosophies I believe in and use in my coaching today.”
Darian speaks of his Olympic experience, representing South Africa in the 2004, 2008, and 2023 Olympic Games saying “I spent the years between the Olympic Games trying to regain my form in the water, and it taught me a lot about myself.” Darian credits swimming with his career, a family and “a lifetime full of incredible and valuable memories.”
Following an eight-year professional swimming career, Darian turned his focus to coaching. In 2021, Darian was named as the head coach and CEO of the Phoenix Swim Club. Darian brings a wealth of knowledge to Fitter & Faster Swim camps, as he has been coaching age group club swimmers for 12 years. He says, “All of this experience, I believe, gives me a unique perspective on swimming and what it takes for swimmers and coaches to be successful and enjoy the process at the same time.”
As a coach and a clinician for Fitter & Faster Swim Camps, Darian emphasizes attention to detail, and how what may seem like a small detail, like hand position in the freestyle catch and pull or hip height in the breaststroke kick, could be the difference between winning or losing a race. He acknowledges that swimming can present unique challenges due to the frequency and intensity of training. He tells swimmers, “Tomorrow is a new day. Everyone is going to have a bad day at some point. The best thing you can do is learn from the experience, go home, get some rest and be determined to do better the next day.”
