Youssef Elkamash
Youssef Elkamash
QUICK STATS
- Birthdate: July 20, 1995
- Hometown: Alexandria, Egypt
- College: Grand Canyon University
- Coaches: Ray Looze, Cory Chitwood, Jonty Skinner
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- NCAA All-American
- 5-time African Games Champion
- African Record Holder
- Egyptian Record Holder
Youssef's next swim clinics
EXPERIENCE
Youssef Elkamash is an Egyptian swimmer who has represented his country in the African Games and World Championships. He swam in college at Indiana University where he was a NCAA All-American, and continues to compete following his collegiate career due to his love for the sport.
Working with age group swimmers, Youssef says “you’re working with raw material when working with young athletes. I didn’t have access to camps like Fitter and Faster when I was young, and without that opportunity I had to work harder later in my career. I want to help make the younger generation of swimmers better than me.”
Youssef likes teaching Fitter and Faster camp participants about proper body alignment and helping them understand their unique body position in the water. He says, “Often when I do a camp, the kids want to race, but they need to learn proper alignment. It’s going to build good habits, as when you have proper body alignment you swim well.” The right body position can minimize drag and maximize speed. He also focuses on technical skills, such as underwaters and how to push off the wall with power on turns; skills that will make athletes more efficient in the water.
Youssef admits that he wasn’t always focused at practice, but thanks to his coach he was inspired and motivated. He says, “I was at practice to spend time with friends, and wasn’t as focused as I could have been. My coach, a 2000 Olympian, inspired me to pursue big goals such as swimming in college. He spoke about his experience swimming in college and in the Olympics, and that inspired me to work hard and focus more.” Youssef wants to pay it forward by inspiring young athletes to pursue their dreams, and provide them with the tools to work towards achieving them.
