Although Shawn Rich is the Y’s Aquatics & Competitive Swim Director, he likes to say he still has a lot to learn. “It’s important to be honest and humble and realize that I truly don’t know everything,” he says.
This philosophy aligns well with his favorite quote: “It is better to be consistently good than occasionally great.” Shawn believes showing up once and doing a great job doesn’t compare to giving an above average effort every single day.
It’s an approach that is essential in the world of Y aquatics where people of all ages – from babies to older adults in their 90s – learn safety around water, how to swim, how to become a competitive swimmer, and how to get healthy through water fitness classes.
“My job is to oversee everything,” says Shawn who has previously been a summer camp director and a before/afterschool manager. He’s worked at YMCAs since he was 15 years old, including 6 years at the Bangor Y, and likes the Y value of responsibility. “Responsibility resonates with me because it is our responsibility to uphold all of the Y’s core values and be what the community needs us to be,” he says.
Shawn enjoys the Y’s family atmosphere and how everyone feels welcome. “Having been a Y kid (starting at age 5), I’ve appreciated our priority of giving back to the community and to those who need the guidance and support of the Y,” he says.
Born in Connecticut and raised in Camden, Maine, Shawn enjoys running, weightlifting, and swimming in his spare time but being a proud dad of his baby daughter Lilah with his wife Rachel tops the list.