MIDLOTHIAN, Va. — Together, Chad Onken and John Smithson have become the co-owners of Quest Swimming, LLC. 

John Smithson was born in Pennsylvania, but Virginia is where he considers “home”. John grew up in the Hanover area and was a top-ranked swimmer throughout his youth. He attended Clarion University where he was an All-American for the Golden Eagles. Fresh out of college, John worked with the PGA, but his love for the pool called him back to coaching. After leading teams in Tennessee and Virginia – he joined Dudley Duncan in the formation of Quest Swimming in 2003. John learned a ton from Dudley Duncan over the past 18 years and helped coach a number of national-level athletes throughout his time at Quest.

He is excited for the bright future of the Quest Swimming program. “It’s an exciting time for Quest Swimming. Whether it’s learning how to swim with our Swim School or competing on the local, regional or national level with our competitive year-round swim team – there is a home for everyone within Quest.”

Chad Onken grew up in the Midlothian area where he attended JB Watkins Elementary, Midlothian Middle, and Midlothian High Schools. He lived in the Queensmill neighborhood and moved into the subdivision right as the community swim team was in its infancy.

“I joined as a 5-year-old and loved being in the water. My coach at Queensmill, Joe Bradford, was also coaching a USA Swimming club team at Briarwood (now ACAC). He convinced me to be a part of Briarwood of Richmond Aquatic Club (BRAC),” Chad shared. This was the beginning of Chad’s competitive swimming experience. 

In 1989, BRAC merged with a team from Petersburg called VACS (Virginia Association for Competitive Swimming). Together, the two organizations formed what is now known as Poseidon. Dudley Duncan was Chad’s coach during this time. Chad enjoyed having him as a coach and recalled, “Dudley was like a second father to me and someone that has meant the world to me, both in and out of the pool.” Upon his graduation in 1995, Chad swam collegiately for Florida State University, a top-ten program in NCAA swimming, where he competed at the highest level of the sport and ultimately qualified for the Olympic Trials. 

Chad became involved in coaching after completing college, and coached for five years at North Carolina State University, two years at Auburn University, and thirteen years at the YMCA of the Triangle Area (YOTA) in Raleigh, NC. “In 2018, Dudley and I talked about his retirement plans. He wanted to step off the deck and have me come “home” and help lead Quest Swimming. In January of 2019, I became the Co-Head Coach of Quest Swimming and have loved being back home,” shared Chad.

On January 1, 2022, Chad and John officially purchased the business from Dudley. John and Chad will become co-owners of Quest Swimming and Dudley will move to Vero Beach, Florida.

Both Chad and John are excited to continue in the footsteps of their mentor and father figure.

When asked what sets Quest apart from other organizations in the area, Chad shared, “In addition to having a 300 person year-round competitive swimming program that ranks as one of United States Swimming’s top club teams, Quest Swimming also has a Masters swimming program for 18 and older athletes looking to stay in shape, learn how to swim or compete. We also have the thriving Quest Swim School business which makes an impact throughout the community by providing high-quality swim lessons at our Hull Street location.” Quest has been recognized as providing the best swim lessons in Chesterfield County in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

They are in the process of building a new swim school at the Deer Run location. This will be the new home of the Quest Swim School which will allow them to increase their impact in the community and ultimately reach their goal: “to become the premiere swim lesson provider throughout Central Virginia”. 

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