Sam Bernicke

Hi, I’m Samuel Bernicke.

I found my way to PCY Masters in a pretty unexpected way. After getting injured and no longer being able to run, I was invited to give swimming a try. At the time, I honestly thought swimming was just another fitness activity—kind of like running in the water. I had no idea how much technique and skill actually went into it.

Before joining the team about a year and a half ago, my swimming background was pretty simple: I knew how not to drown. That’s about it. I really didn’t start learning how to swim until I was 23, which made everything feel new and challenging—but also really exciting.

What keeps me coming back is how rewarding swimming is. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of gliding through the water, or seeing your times drop after putting in consistent effort. I also love the variety in our practices—no two days feel the same, and there’s always something new to work on.

The team itself is a huge part of why I stick with it. Everyone makes it easy to stay motivated, and it’s genuinely fun to show up every day. The workouts are thoughtfully put together by Coach Stacey, Mike, and Bip, and you can tell each set has a purpose behind it.

As for strokes, freestyle and butterfly are my favorites. Backstroke and breaststroke… we’re still a work in progress.

One thing people might not expect? Practice might officially start at 6:00 or 7:00 AM, but if you really want to get the most out of it, you’re showing up around 5:30 to get in band work and warm up beforehand.

Swimming wasn’t something I planned on falling into—but it’s become something I’m really glad I did.