Christopher Taylor arrived in Tempe in 1999, swimming at Arizona State for three seasons under head coach Mike Chasson. After graduating from ASU, the Sun Devil used his skills in the water for an even bigger cause, serving in the United States Navy for over a decade.
We caught up with Taylor prior to Veterans Day and discussed everything from the current state of Arizona State's swim program to his desire to bring a Pat's Run to the city of Cleveland.
Question: Let's start at the beginning. Why'd you end up choosing to go to ASU?
Answer: Although I grew up in Cleveland, I always wanted to be a Sun Devil. My Uncle Bob graduated from ASU in 1967, my father was the class of '70 and my Uncle Dan was class of '71. I had family that remained in the area so we visited often when I was growing up and I fell in love with the school.
When I was in the fourth grade I was given the phone number of former coach Ron Johnson and I asked him what times I needed to achieve to become a member of the swim team. So, I had my mind made up in the fourth grade that I was going to go to school there and be a member of the swim team. Coach Ernie Maglischo allowed me the opportunity to join the team as a walk-on, and then Mike Chasson took over as coach before the school year actually started.
Q: Where did your career take you after graduating?
A: Coach Chasson offered me an opportunity to kickstart my coaching career before I even graduated. Before my senior year he pulled me into his office and presented me an opportunity to become a member of the staff as an undergraduate swim coach. So I was fortunate enough to begin coaching as a senior as well as serving as a team captain.
Q: Can you talk about what you did in the military and what you're doing now?
A: I served in the United States Navy for 11 years. During that time I was a Naval Aircrewman, serving in the capacity of Aviation Rescue Swimmer. I was fortunate to deploy multiple times, twice in the Middle East, once on the USNS Comfort and once as a part of the relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy. I spent most of my career stationed in Norfolk, Virginia but my family (wife Hannah, son Liam and daughter Ainsley) recently relocated to Cleveland to transition back to life as a civilian. Most recently, I accepted a position with Invacare in the role of Quality Assurance Trainer in their Corporate Quality Training Department.
Q: What makes you want to bring a Pat's Run to Cleveland?
A: Pat Tillman's foundation enables military members to arm themselves as they get ready to make the transition to life as a civilian. The most difficult thing a veteran must do is convince a civilian employer the skills they have developed in the military are transferrable. While we face this challenge, what cannot be disputed is our level of education. I was fortunate that Invacare saw the value I bring to their organization. I want to establish a Pat's Run here in Cleveland because Ohio is one of the most patriotic states in the country. Only California, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York have a larger veteran population. The more people that can become aware of the organization and what services it provides will grow support exponentially.
Q: You mentioned the transition back to civilian life. Could you talk a little more about that?
A: Each transition is going to be unique to that service member. This is mostly in part due to a lot of different factors that play into the process of the individual getting out. They could be retiring, getting out at the end of their contract before retirement age, medically separating or possibly being kicked out for disciplinary reasons. Each one of these scenarios brings with it a different compensation package, and that can play a significant role in the member's transition process. I made the decision to leave with around two years of service left on my contract. I was fortunate to have friends and family members help me get started in networking, something I have never done before. I had to become comfortable telling people my story, explaining my experiences and showing them that my skills are transferrable to their corporate environment.
I decided in January of 2016 to go back to school and pursue a Masters as the timing was perfect in that I would be finishing the program six months before my last day in the military. Over the last two years I have come across a number of people who are willing to sit down and help. The key was just to be comfortable to get the introduction and reach out to organizations that are out there. If you expect that your time is going to come to an end and you are going to be handed a job, you are wrong. You are going to have to work for it. From my experience, the moment you have a thought in your mind that you are thinking of possibly leaving the military, you are going to need to start coming up with a plan. The military will offer you some assistance in the process, but it is up to you to best educate and prepare yourself for life outside of the military.
Q: What do you think of the ASU swimming program as it stands now?
A: I look at how far the program has come since I have left and I couldn't be more excited. This was a team that was on the chopping block, and with the help of some swimming alumni they were fortunately able to save the program. I look at what coach Bob Bowman has done, the impact he has made and remember the words of a former rival coach about the program being a sleeping giant. That really seems to be coming to fruition now.
We caught up with Taylor prior to Veterans Day and discussed everything from the current state of Arizona State's swim program to his desire to bring a Pat's Run to the city of Cleveland.
Question: Let's start at the beginning. Why'd you end up choosing to go to ASU?
Answer: Although I grew up in Cleveland, I always wanted to be a Sun Devil. My Uncle Bob graduated from ASU in 1967, my father was the class of '70 and my Uncle Dan was class of '71. I had family that remained in the area so we visited often when I was growing up and I fell in love with the school.
When I was in the fourth grade I was given the phone number of former coach Ron Johnson and I asked him what times I needed to achieve to become a member of the swim team. So, I had my mind made up in the fourth grade that I was going to go to school there and be a member of the swim team. Coach Ernie Maglischo allowed me the opportunity to join the team as a walk-on, and then Mike Chasson took over as coach before the school year actually started.
Q: Where did your career take you after graduating?
A: Coach Chasson offered me an opportunity to kickstart my coaching career before I even graduated. Before my senior year he pulled me into his office and presented me an opportunity to become a member of the staff as an undergraduate swim coach. So I was fortunate enough to begin coaching as a senior as well as serving as a team captain.
Q: Can you talk about what you did in the military and what you're doing now?
A: I served in the United States Navy for 11 years. During that time I was a Naval Aircrewman, serving in the capacity of Aviation Rescue Swimmer. I was fortunate to deploy multiple times, twice in the Middle East, once on the USNS Comfort and once as a part of the relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy. I spent most of my career stationed in Norfolk, Virginia but my family (wife Hannah, son Liam and daughter Ainsley) recently relocated to Cleveland to transition back to life as a civilian. Most recently, I accepted a position with Invacare in the role of Quality Assurance Trainer in their Corporate Quality Training Department.
Q: What makes you want to bring a Pat's Run to Cleveland?
A: Pat Tillman's foundation enables military members to arm themselves as they get ready to make the transition to life as a civilian. The most difficult thing a veteran must do is convince a civilian employer the skills they have developed in the military are transferrable. While we face this challenge, what cannot be disputed is our level of education. I was fortunate that Invacare saw the value I bring to their organization. I want to establish a Pat's Run here in Cleveland because Ohio is one of the most patriotic states in the country. Only California, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York have a larger veteran population. The more people that can become aware of the organization and what services it provides will grow support exponentially.
Q: You mentioned the transition back to civilian life. Could you talk a little more about that?
A: Each transition is going to be unique to that service member. This is mostly in part due to a lot of different factors that play into the process of the individual getting out. They could be retiring, getting out at the end of their contract before retirement age, medically separating or possibly being kicked out for disciplinary reasons. Each one of these scenarios brings with it a different compensation package, and that can play a significant role in the member's transition process. I made the decision to leave with around two years of service left on my contract. I was fortunate to have friends and family members help me get started in networking, something I have never done before. I had to become comfortable telling people my story, explaining my experiences and showing them that my skills are transferrable to their corporate environment.
I decided in January of 2016 to go back to school and pursue a Masters as the timing was perfect in that I would be finishing the program six months before my last day in the military. Over the last two years I have come across a number of people who are willing to sit down and help. The key was just to be comfortable to get the introduction and reach out to organizations that are out there. If you expect that your time is going to come to an end and you are going to be handed a job, you are wrong. You are going to have to work for it. From my experience, the moment you have a thought in your mind that you are thinking of possibly leaving the military, you are going to need to start coming up with a plan. The military will offer you some assistance in the process, but it is up to you to best educate and prepare yourself for life outside of the military.
Q: What do you think of the ASU swimming program as it stands now?
A: I look at how far the program has come since I have left and I couldn't be more excited. This was a team that was on the chopping block, and with the help of some swimming alumni they were fortunately able to save the program. I look at what coach Bob Bowman has done, the impact he has made and remember the words of a former rival coach about the program being a sleeping giant. That really seems to be coming to fruition now.