Photo courtesy of Camel Athletics.
Growing up, Julien Legros ‘23 led a busy life. Between practicing saxophone for the school band, working hard in classes, and practicing judo with his dad, there was very little time for other activities. However, Legros always found time to go to his swim club team’s practice, the Marlins, at a local Boys and Girls Club a couple of minutes down the road from his house in Westchester, New York. At home, pictures of Legros’ father representing his home country, Haiti, were lined up along the walls. His father placed 21st at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in Judo for Haiti, where he is originally from. Seeing this high level of success in sports gave Legros something to push for: to make the Olympics just like his dad and bring pride to his family and the country of Haiti. Despite not being from Haiti or ever even being there, he still felt a connection to the country and believed it was an important part of who he is. The biggest question he had at this time was what sport would he do?
Legros’ original motivation to go into swimming was through watching the success of his older brother Marcel. Later on, he would go on to tell me that he believed the times his brother swam were unattainable and out of reach for him. Growing up, Legros never had a certain stroke or race that was consistently his go-to, changing distances and techniques as he got older. His big break came as he entered his senior year of high school, where he was able to find his stride swimming sprint freestyle. Following a breakout first half of the year and midseason meet in North Carolina, Legros decided to take his talents to New London, joining an already strong lineup of incoming swimmers. All the years of hard work and dedication in the water were paying off, as he had not only caught up to but surpassed his older brother that he had looked up to for so long.
Once joining the Conn swim team, Legros stepped into the big shoes he knew he had to fill and became a leader on the team as only a freshman, securing a spot on two of the top relays at NESCAC Championships. Legros had high praise for his teammates and the culture, saying “the team here at Conn is a family and we always have each other’s backs when we need a pick-me-up or help with anything. Every single person is dedicated to the sport and sees the full potential in everyone. It truly is something very special here.”
Following his success freshman year, his goals of representing Haiti now seemed attainable and realistic for him to achieve. After scouring the web to find ways to reach out to the Haitian swim coach, he was finally able to find her on Linkedin. His determination to succeed and reach his goals has been a trait that has followed him throughout life. His longtime friend Henry Blair reminisced about times spent trying to come up with goals for Legros for swimming and in life, praising Legros’s work ethic as he “works to achieve his goals regardless of how attainable they are.” After seeing his times, the coach knew he was a great addition to the Haitian national team.
When asked about what/who motivates him to be successful, Legros pointed to his friends and family who have supported him along the way, citing the “endless love and support from everyone that believed in him along the way” and that they are the ones that always push him to be better, both in and out of the water. He said that his biggest fan though is his mom, who drove him to practice/meets for years, and always believed that he could be his best self if he set his mind to it.
Due to COVID, Legros’ first meet with the national Haiti team will take place later this April down in Clermont, Florida, where he plans on competing in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, and 200-meter individual medley. When asked about what is the biggest obstacle he is currently facing, Legros said that the transition from a 25-yard pool, which he has been training in all year, into a 50-meter pool should be interesting, but he’s “extremely excited for what’s to come.” When asking his long-time club coach David Ellinghaus about Legros’ achievements, Ellinghaus said “It’s great to see him develop and reach greater heights. People should watch out for the Haitian Creation!”
