Many folks around town have often asked, "what does the name mean?"

“Race Swami” stems from Co-Founder Matt Finnigan's swimming days at the Los Altos Aquatic Club training under the late, legendary USA Swimming coach Kevin Perry (1951-2008). In the early ‘80s "KP," as he was affectionately known, referred to his athletes as "Swamis," and as Finnigan explains it, "it was about mastering yourself, your life—not just in the water, but in everything you did. Life is really a learning experience as you move through it, regardless of your age. You're always in a position to learn. To ‘master’ your craft. With KP, it was never meant to be a cultural or religious-minded term, but rather, the fact we were his 'Swamis' -- ready and willing to learn something new everyday at the pool. I loved that about KP’s coaching style, because with every new day came new challenges and cool stories. Between sets or before practice while we stretched, he would tell us stories about intriguing figures in history—an example being Sochi Sakamoto, the legendary coach of the Three Year Swim Club, or an interesting author like Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)). He’d give us books to read and then weeks later we’d have a ‘contemplation session’ about the book and its meaning. There was more to life than swimming and training hard. We’d grow as people.”

Finnigan went on. “That notion always stuck with me. Kevin was an integral part of my life and he taught me so much about what it means to be a person willing to make a difference in the world. One Saturday, instead of heading to swim practice he took the entire senior group over to a pool in Belle Haven and we taught swimming lessons all morning. It was so cool. Just working with local kids and having fun, playing Marco Polo. That memory stuck with me. Years later he told me, ‘someone’s gotta do it - to make a difference.’ So naturally, when we launched this program and composed the mission, it was only right that we pay respect to one of the finest coaches USA Swimming has ever had. Someone who made a difference in so many people's lives."

"Race" was added to the name to pay homage for the love of racing. "At the end of the day," Finnigan said, “what makes swimming fun is the thrill of the race. Kids just want to race! They want to see how fast they can go—whether they're racing the kid in the lane next to them, or racing against the clock, or just racing themselves. Whatever the reason, they’re celebrating the spirit of racing. We wanted to reflect that, and so, we added it to the name.”

As the team opens its pool deck to the Belle Haven community, new athletes will continue to join the program. Rest assured, kids will be given a brief history of the team, the mission of the program, and the expectations of its members. They’ll learn about the looming 6 foot 9 inch guy who was the first SWAMI to lead a group of pupils willing to swim fast, learn cool things and make a difference in the world.