New direction: Geibel grad Zimcosky joins Lynchburg coaching staff
Emily Zimcosky traveled down many paths in her nearly two-decade journey as a competitive swimmer.
The 2016 Geibel Catholic graduate now has embarked on a new path in her long journey as an assistant coach with the University of Lynchburg men’s and women’s swimming team.
The Hornets are a NCAA Division III program that competes in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
Zimcosky works with swimmers who participate in the butterfly, middle distances, any stroke at 200 yards and the 500 freestyle.
Zimcosky started her coaching experience after injuries derailed the completion of her collegiate swimming career.
“I slid into volunteer coaching at Liberty. I was able to experience the conference meet as a coach. The staff at Liberty kept me around in my sixth year as a volunteer coach on scholarship,” explained Zimcosky. “I was giving swimming lessons (for Maximum Velocity) at Liberty on the side.
“I gained more respect and more of a role (as a coach). (Coaching) was a big, eye-opening experience.”
Zimcosky added, “I realized swimming doesn’t have to be out of my life.”
The volunteer experience led to a full-time opportunity over the summer.
“A job opened up as a coach at Lynchburg. I understand their mission,” said Zimcosky. “One of the cooler things is the whole recruiting process.”
The Lynchburg staff includes the Director of Men’s and Women’s Swimming Brad Dunn and graduate assistants Chris Jennings and Liv Hutton.
Zimcosky said her coaches of her Club Mountaineer team have had an impact on her as she enters coaching.
“They took me under their wing. So much of (her swimming) was under my control,” said Zimcosky.
Zimcosky has already developed her style and demeanor as a coach of swimmers not much younger than herself.
“I always joke I’m the hardest coach on the staff. I’m not a yeller. It’s a big challenge,” said Zimcosky. “I want them to know you take ownership of your swimming.”
She wants her swimmers to understand how fortunate they are.
“It is killing me. You are in the water doing this and I would kill to do that,” said Zimcosky, adding, “but, it’s up to the athlete.”
Zimcosky graduated from Geibel Catholic as one of the WPIAL’s most-decorated swimmers. With no formal program or a team, her mom Kelley stood in as her coach for four seasons.
Zimcosky was a four-time gold medalist in the 100 freestyle and won the 50 freestyle as a sophomore and junior. She finished second in the 200 freestyle as a freshman and second in the 50 freestyle in her senior season.
She broke the WPIAL record in the 50 and 100 freestyles as a sophomore, and rebroke the mark in the 50 as a junior. Both of Zimcosky’s marks were broken by Mount Pleasant’s Lily King in 2022.
Zimcosky was fourth in the 100 freestyle and ninth in the 200 freestyle as a freshman in the PIAA Championship. She won silver in the 100 freestyle and 50 freestyle.
Zimcosky opted out of the 2015 state meet for an opportunity to qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic swimming trials, which she successfully accomplished.
Zimcosky capped her high school career with double gold in the 50 and 100 freestyles.
Zimcosky continued her athletic and academic careers at Ohio University.
She competed in all 10 meets as a freshman and compiled eight first-place finishes. Zimcosky continued her success in the pool as a sophomore and also earned recognition in the classroom when she was named to the Academic All-MAC team.
Zimcosky was a two-time second team All-MAC selection, and set the program record in the 200 freestyle in both her freshman (1:47.49) and sophomore (1:47.46) seasons. She finished third in the 200 freestyle in the 2018 MAC Championships.
Zimcosky also won the 200 freestyle in the 2016 Winter Sectionals to qualify for the 2017 USA Winter Nationals.
Zimcosky opted for a different path entering her junior season and transferred to Liberty University.
Zimcosky picked up where she left off in her first year at Liberty, becoming the first swimmer in program history to win the 200 freestyle at the CCSA Championships with a time of 1:48.18. She qualified with a personal-best time of 1:47.41.
Zimcosky was also on Liberty’s conference-winning 800 freestyle and 400 medley relays.
As she closed out her successful first season at Liberty, Zimcosky began dealing with physical issues. She sought out medical explanations for her condition and was diagnosed with chronic exertional compartment syndrome in both legs.
“I had pain in the lower leg. I noticed it in my spring training. I couldn’t do dynamic training work,” explained Zimcosky. “I noticed I had no feeling in my leg and had a burning sensation from the knee down.
“It was hard to diagnose. It usually happens with impact sports. It was a frustrating time. It’s an uncommon diagnosis.”
Zimcosky continued, “There was no swelling, no bruising. It was very invisible.”
Zimcosky said she spent a lot of time with health professionals.
“I had 100 physical therapy appointments and went to multiple doctors. I joked I should have had a hospital membership,” said Zimcosky.
One of the trainers at Liberty led her down another path in an attempt to correct the issue.
“There are four muscle compartments in the leg. They took a 3½-inch needle with a compression meter attached to measure the amount of pressure of the muscle group. I ran until I was symptomatic. The measurements should not change (and hers did),” Zimcosky said of the examination.
The decision was made to correct the issue with a fasciotomy where the surgeon makes an incision to cut open the skin and fascia that covers the affected compartment.
“It was outpatient surgery. The muscle is like a hotdog in a casing. The fascia was not expanding, so they snip the fascia so the muscle can expand,” explained Zimcosky. “I had two on each leg, the anterior compression and lateral compression.”
There wasn’t much down time after the procedure.
“The recovery was super easy, super light. It was a 2-3 inch incision. I was only out of the water for two weeks. The university had an underwater treadmill and I did biking,” said Zimcosky. “I was able to get back in the water soon after the procedure.”
Zimcosky was redshirted as she entered her senior year.
“It was very challenging, but it was the greatest thing for me,” said Zimcosky. “I had such amazing support from my teammates and coaches.”
Zimcosky’s return was delayed with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was ready to come back and Covid happens,” said Zimcosky. “I bought a bike and the symptoms come back.
“I couldn’t get back in the water at that point. I saw every specialist. It was affecting my quality of life. My coach told me to go home.”
Zimcosky returned to Smock and, after visits to AHN and UPMC, was diagnosed with Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome.
Zimcosky was at a crossroads with her career, so she sat down and had a heart-to-heart with her parents.
“There was a lot of talking with my parents and a lot of reflecting,” said Zimcosky. “My image was not Emily the swimmer. There was more than I can be.”
“The main artery behind the knee had entrapment from the very beginning. I had an EMG and with all their studies, they weren’t finding anything,” said Zimcosky. “I had a standing ultrasound when I was on my toes. That cut off the blood flow. I had an angiogram. It was very invasive.
“I had full entrapment in my left leg and my right leg collapsed, but it came back. I had to sign off on an artery graft. Luckily, that was not the case.”
Zimcosky continued, “It was an anatomical deformity. They had to free up space.”
Zimcosky was on crutches for 1½ weeks and was to be out of the water for four months.
Zimcosky’s path had another disastrous twist when she was a passenger with her father and grandmother in an automobile accident. None of the three suffered serious injury, but the accident did not help in her recovery.
“I was in a rollover accident on Easter Sunday. My leg was feeling real good and then the accident,” said Zimcosky.
She managed to recover and heal, and eventually found her way back into the water.
“I was in the water at home by myself in May. I was relearning how to kick. Then, in late June, all the pain came back again. There was no explanation. I was in a lot of pain,” said Zimcosky. “At that point, I had committed to finishing (out her career). I had so much support from the staff and athletic department.”
She had a difficult “eureka moment” during the season that set her future in the sport.
“I had a realization moment at home in November at midseason. I had a peaceful moment with my parents. I tearfully decided to hang up my goggles,” said Zimcosky. “I very much felt like I was quitting. The responsibility fell on me.
“I was very at peace with the decision when I made it.”
Her decision to retire from competitive swimming turned down another path and a different opportunity: coaching.
Zimcosky remained with Liberty for one more year as a volunteer coach.
“The staff at Liberty kept me around in my sixth year as a volunteer coach. I did swimming lessons on the side,” said Zimcosky. “I started to have more of a role and more responsibility.
“I was looking back at my high school career and the things I wanted to do, instead of what I accomplished. I was saying all the time swimming isn’t my identity.”
Zimcosky graduated in 2020 from Liberty with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in the Studio Arts. She received her Master’s degree from Liberty in Sports Management.
Zimcosky will travel down another life path with her engagement to Grant Hundley.
“We met in a natatorium,” said Zimcosky.
Zimcosky is the daughter of Stan and Kelley Zimcosky, of Smock. She has one brother, John Paul, who had a successful swimming career for the Gators, and three sisters, Kelsey (Renner), Juliann and Sophie.