Chase Kalisz Bio: Early Life, Paralysis, Coach & Olympics

2020 Summer Olympic games are in full swing in Tokyo, Japan. On the second day since commencement, team USA bagged their first gold, earned by Chase Kalisz on 400m men’s Individual Medley.

For the swimming fanatics, the chase is not a new name. 30 years old American has already earned an Olympic silver before at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He is also a multiple times medalist of world championships and U.S national games. 

After winning the gold, Chase commented on how it was a lifelong dream to own the coveted medal. 

Chase started swimming at the age of 5 and still aspires to push his limits despite having achieved a lot. But obviously, this glorious journey has had its fair share of difficulties.

This article will explore his journey, hardships, and how he overcame them to become an aquatic champ.

But first, here are some intriguing quick facts.

Chase Kalisz: Quick Facts

Chase Kalisz: Early Life and Family

Chase Tyler Kalisz, the Olympian, was born on March 7, 1994, in Bel Air, Maryland, USA. His father, Mike, is an athletic director at Hereford High in Baltimore County.

On the other hand, his mother, Cathey, works for the government.

Chase grew up in a loving family alongside his three other siblings, older sister Courtney, younger brother Connor, and younger sister Cassidy.

The Kalisz family was inclined towards swimming, and naturally, young chase picked up on it.

But an unfortunate accident made his family question if he could ever walk, let alone swim again.

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Getting paralyzed

He was just eight years old then and was a sporty kid. One night he woke up with pain in his legs and had to be carried to the hospital. He was diagnosed with Guillian Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that ends up paralyzing your body. 

Due to immediate medical care, Chase could get out of the come in a week but had to be transferred to a rehabilitation hospital to ensure his limbs were fully functioning.

A particular pool therapy worked like a charm to him. While other patients get out of the hospital in 6-8 months, kid chase got discharged in only three months. 

The determined kid refused to use a wheelchair or walker, navigating his way on his own. 

Healing through swimming

During the healing process, he used swimming as therapy. And lo and behold, he had started competing again only a year later.

His family’s athletic background proved to be helpful to his journey. All of his siblings are talented swimmers.

Young chase mostly followed the footsteps of his older sister. She trained in the North Baltimore aquatic club, coach by well-known Paul Yetter.

Moreover, she had also set various national age-group records. Like the family says, “She was a natural.”

Friendly banter between siblings regarding their achievements developed a competitive feeling in Kalisz. So he started training much more, even going to the same aquatic club.

While Courtney’s career was cut short by an injury, Chase continued to do his best.

After graduating in 2012, he even competed in the Olympic trials but couldn’t make the team.

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Chase Kalisz: Career

Collegiate

In the fall of 2012, he officially became a university of Georgia bulldog.

At his first collegiate meet, he won the 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard breaststroke, and 200-yard Individual medley. 

Similarly, he won 400 IM at 2012 At&T winter nationals. 

In 2013, Michael Phelps, who also trains in the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, mentioned Chase as a rising IM (Individual Medley) star. 

In the same year, chase also won the 400-yard IM at the 2013 NCAA division 1 championships.

At the 2014 NCCAA championships, he touched 1:41:19 on 200 IM and 3:34:50 on 400 IM, a new US open and NCAA record.

He won a gold in 400m medley during the U.S Olympic trials and got an automatic selection.

His first Olympic race was also the first race in the pool at the 2016 Rio Olympics. At 4.06.75, he placed second behind Japanese swimming Kosuke Hagino and won silver in 400m IM.

At 4.06.75, he placed second behind Japanese swimming Kosuke Hagino and won silver in 400m IM.

In the 2017 World Championships, he won 200 meter IM, becoming the new world champion. With 1.55.56, he also set a new personal best. 

Alongside that, he won 400m medleys with a new record of 4.05.90. In the 2019 world championships, he got limited to bronze in the 200IM.

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Tokyo Olympics

Olympic gold is the dream of every sportsperson. Likewise, it was a dream chase harbored ever since he started swimming. Yes, he won a silver in 2016, but he was not satisfied.

Nevertheless, he did not let his hunger for the gold die and followed a top-notch training regime to prepare for Tokyo fully.

During the second day of the competition, he swam the finals of 400-meter IM within 4:09:42, winning a gold medal.

Since this win, he became the first to win a gold medal for the US at the 2020 Olympic game.

Following his graceful win, all eye was on Chase to see if he achieved the same result in the other event he participated in, the 200m IM.

But unfortunately, swimming is a highly competitive sport with only a milliseconds difference between competitors. As a result, he ranked sixth in the semifinals and could not advance to the finals.

However, Chase has finally ticked an Olympic gold off his to-do list. It will be interesting to see how his career progresses further. 

Chase Kalisz: Body measurement, Training & Fitness

Chase has a weight of 86 kgs (190 lbs) which suits well in a 1.93m height. 

For elite athletes, their training and fitness are of utmost importance. Similarly, Kalisz dedicates most of his day to training, both on land and water.

He swims for almost 3.5-4 hours a day and continues to train six days a week. The training regime usually differs according to various circumstances.

Notably, he used to play lacrosse, basketball, and soccer before he started to swim full time. 

When Kalisz is not competing or training, he enjoys going to soccer games, watching sports on TV, and hanging out with friends.

But his ultimate way of relaxing is sleeping. Well, what can one love better than a good night’s sleep after a long day of training?

Chase Kalisz: Net Worth and Endorsements

Being an NCAA champion and Olympic star, he has done remarkably well financially well.

Although swimming doesn’t pay as much as basketball or soccer, top swimmers like Michael Phelps have accumulated millions from their careers.

Currently, Chase has a net worth of over $1 million.

His biggest endorsement opportunity so far has to be with MP, a swimwear brand by Michael Phelps. Kalisz announced the news of their collaboration in July 2019 via Instagram.

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Chase Kalisz: Social Media

Young and successful, Caliz has found fame in the social media circle as well. 75k well-wishers now follow his Instagram.

His french bulldog ‘Flyod’ is also popular on Instagram. The animal-loving swimmer maintains a separate Instagram account for Floyd, which has garnered more than 2500 followers.

Facebook: 2k followers

Twitter: 10k followers

Instagram: 75.9k followers

Chase Kalisz: Frequently Asked Questions

Does Chase Kalisz have a wife?

As far as we know, Chase is not married yet. Moreover, it seems like he is not taken yet, and he is currently focusing on his career.

Does Chase Kalisz have a tattoo?

Yes, the Olympic champion has a visible tattoo of the Olympic rings on his right arm.