KU Scholar Athlete of the Month: Rachel Klinker
What an Adventure for This State Swim Champ
- School: Tates Creek High
- GRADE: 12
- Sport: Swimming
- Academics: Rachel has a 4.562 weighted GPA in the IB program, scored 30 on the ACT and is the school student body president.
- Parents: Jill & Gerry
State swim champion Rachel Klinker is an adventuresome soul. Take a look at the Tates Creek High senior’s favorite books: “Ivanhoe,” “Robinson Crusoe,” and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
She loves a good adventure story.
So when it came time to choose a college, she ventured to California to UC Berkeley. Why Cal? Because Rachel did her homework.
Not only is UC Berkeley one of the top universities in the country, Cal has a dominant women’s swim program led by legendary coach Teri McKeever.
McKeever has coached 26 Olympians who have accounted for 36 Olympic medals. Cal alums include Missy Franklin (five Olympic Gold medals) and Natalie Coughlin (12 Olympic medals).
Rachel, still just 18 years old, has already qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials based on her times in the 100 and 200 butterfly last summer at the University of Georgia.
She must qualify again as the Olympics approach but with the upward trajectory of her career that seems like a safe bet.
“It was an amazing feeling,” she said. “It’s every swimmer’s dream to compete in the Olympics and represent the U.S.”
Tokyo in 2020 for the Summer Games would be a wonderful addition to the ports of call Rachel has already visited.
Along with numerous trips to Orlando, she has competed from coast to coast, from Long Island, New York to Irvine, California. She also spent 10 days last spring break, swimming in the Irish Open in Dublin.
Rachel is the defending Kentucky high school champion in the 200 and 500 freestyle.
(She swims everything: sprints and long distance in freestyle, butterfly and breaststroke. Not surprisingly, she is adding the 200 and 400 IM to her repertoire.)
Swimmer is only part of Rachel’s identity. She’s also an honor student, volunteer, student body president, babysitter and youth swim coach. She even bakes and knits.
“Rachel is a hard worker, stays focused and is well organized,” said her mother Jill. Added Rachel: “I’d die without my planner.”
Rachel has a 4.562 weighted GPA in the International Baccalaureate program at Tates Creek. She scored 30 on the ACT, is a National Honor Society member and, before becoming student body president, was president of her freshman, sophomore and junior classes.
She has won numerous school academic awards and cites as inspiration her late grandmother, Noelita Galiskis, who lived with the family for 17 years.
“My grandmother wanted me to strive for the best and I wanted to make her proud,” Rachel said.
Mission accomplished.