Clay Altemose

Getting an early start in life can make the difference between a hobby and a career. Discovering a hidden talent and molding that talent can give incredible opportunity and lay a foundation for years to come. The results of beginning young and persevering through the years are evident in one Alle-Kiski Valley student.

Clay Altemose learned how to swim at an early age and was competing by age five. His mother, Pam, who is an athletic director for the YMCA swimming program, nurtured his interest and involvement in swimming. In the five years that he has been involved in the Allegheny Mountain Swimming (AMS) league, he has managed to make it to the Eastern United States Zone Meet in Cherry Hill, NJ, five times. That's pretty impressive considering that to even qualify for the "Zone Team" you must be in the top two in every AMS event.

To keep his skills honed to their fullest, Clay practices every day after school as part of the Cavalier Swim Club. They swim at the Kiski Area High School pool but aren't affiliated with the school. His dedication to this sport has enabled him to place 19th in the 200 backstroke and 20th in the 100 yd individual medley. The individual medley is one length of each of the breast, butterfly, free style, and backstroke.

Swimming is very exhausting but Clay still manages to participate in other vigorous sports such as football, basketball, and running. He has played basketball and football through the Tiger Gym in Apollo for several years. In addition, he has been running in local 5k races since he was six years old. His dad, Greg, also shares his interest in running and has participated in some of the events with Clay.

In school, Clay participates in chorus and is a member of the Chess Club. A friend of his taught him how to play chess and he found that he really enjoyed it. The club meets and practices once a week. They also compete in tournaments that are held within the club. As with everything that Clay does, he works hard academically and has achieved straight A's.

At the age of twelve, Clay knows how to work hard, balance his life, and persevere to achieve his goals. These things will enable him to move forward successfully with whatever he decides to pursue. Clay lives in Apollo with his parents and two sisters Kelly and Molly. They attend the United Presbyterian Church in Apollo.