Shaine Casas is an American professional swimmer who qualified for a spot to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He competed in men’s 200m IM at the 2024 U.S Swimming Olympics Trials.
His family members often told stories of him loving the pool, and he was drawn to water since before he was born. Let’s explore his parents’ and family’s ethnicity.
Highlights
- Shaine Casas, the son of Monica Epling and James Epling, is half-Black and half-Cuban.
- James, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee, tragically drowned while pursuing a smuggler when Shaine was a toddler.
- Monica taught Shaine water safety lessons, and his built passion for water has led to great success in swimming.
24 years old Shaine Casas was born in San Diego, California, on December 25, 1999.
He began swimming at 7 and was the 2017 6A State champion in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard butterfly at McAllen High School.
Later, he competed for Texas A&M University but transferred to the University of Texas in 2022.
Shaine won gold in the 100-meter backstroke and silver in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2021 World Short Course Championships.
Similarly, he won the silver medal in the 200-metre backstroke at the 2022 World Short Course Championships.
Shaine Casas’s Mother Taught Him Water Lesson After The Tragic Demise of James
The American professional swimmer Shaine Casas is the son of Monica Epling and James Epling. He is half-Black and half-Cuban.
From an early age, he showed apparent calm around water. Unfortunately, water has also been the source of much tragedy in his life.
Congrats to Shaine Casas for signing with Texas A&M for next season!! @AggieSwimDive @ncsa #ncsacommit🏊 pic.twitter.com/BoUed0MY57
— Jeff Smith (@ncsa_coachjeff) November 29, 2017
His father passed away in a drowning accident when Shaine was just a toddler. James was a U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee who tragically drowned while pursuing a smuggler.
Despite this, Shaine’s mother decided to get a family pool and teach him water safety lessons.
Nevertheless, his inbuilt passion for the water has helped him achieve his present level of swimming success.
Monica has believed in his inherent connection with water for a long time and expressed,
He doesn’t believe me when I tell him he was geared toward swimming. I was severely sick my entire pregnancy, and I couldn’t get comfortable unless I was submerged in the bathtub or water or in the pool. He’s been around water since before he was born.
Shaine used to fuss as a baby, and baths helped him stop crying. His grandmother also tells tales of him attempting to crawl into the pool as a baby.
His family was overwhelmed and happy for him to earn a qualifying spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Additional Information
- Shaine Casas trains under coach Eddie Reese and follows the mindset of NBA legend Michael Jordan.
- The 1.93m tall swimmer is possibly single and focused on his career goals.
- He holds the American record while swimming the butterfly leg of the relay in the short course 4×50 meter medley relay.
