Water polo co-captain makes strides for league-winning team despite challenges of genetic condition

Published November 4, 2024

BY DANIELA FOLEY

Though he was born with the genetic condition Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, which causes physical overgrowth, senior Alexander Frederick, a two-year varsity goalie for the Carmel High Water Polo team, who placed first in league for the first time in 10 years, has transformed his skillset in and out of the pool after receiving a life-changing surgery as a middle schooler.

Through constant training, Frederick is now a college-recruited athlete, has 74 saves this season, leads the league with 41 steals and has 11 assists. Along with playing for the CHS water polo team, who have a 15-4 overall season, Frederick is also the starting goalie for Monterey Bay United Water Polo’s A team.

Before undergoing surgery in seventh grade, the right side of the athlete’s body was disproportionately bigger than the left side, making it difficult for him to walk, let alone play sports. Though Frederick now has experienced success as a water polo player, that did not always seem possible. As a sophomore, the now varsity co-captain first tried out for the water polo team, but his execution during tryouts was rather ungraceful.

“I started going strong like a tank, pushing off the wall at tryout,” explains Frederick. “Then I got halfway into the pool. My momentum from pushing off the wall stopped, so I started drowning and splashing frantically.”

Only a few years before his first tryout, Frederick had been in recovery after undergoing a life-altering surgery. For many at the time, getting surgery for BWS entailed getting halos placed around their legs and having to crank a screw in their leg daily, breaking their leg more and more. However, this surgery posed a great risk of infection and complications, making Frederick opt for the newer surgery.

“The surgery itself was a new experimental surgery from Stanford that came out just the year before,” explains Frederick. “My leg bones were shattered, and they put a rod in so the bone would start to regrow around it so it could be pulled apart to elongate the leg.”

According to Frederick, he had to hold a magnet over his leg two times a day in order to gradually extend his bone. Following his surgery, Frederick was bedridden for a month, used a wheelchair for six months and was subsequently on crutches for around nine months.

Frederick remains eager to inspire other athletes with physical impairments to persevere past any challenges.

“I would rather be last in the pool than not in the pool at all,” says the senior. “Having my genetic condition made me want it more. I’ve been at the very bottom–stuck in a hospital bed with needles everywhere. It gave me perspective.”

Weston Wilson, a senior on the Carmel High varsity water polo team and long-time friend of Frederick, notes the attitude he had during his recovery time.

“Those moments I saw him being pushed around in his wheelchair by friends, he would make jokes and act like anyone else, despite his situation,” says Wilson. “Over time, it was his spirit and his personality that allowed him to come so far.”

Steve Willoughby, the goalie coach for CHS, recognizes the effort put in by Frederick and the manner in which it has paid off.

“Alex has a fantastic intellect. He can follow and pick up on the game scenarios to make adjustments as needed,” says Willoughby. “In addition, he is a great leader and is looked up to on the team as such.”

In addition to the success of winning the PCAL league and Central Coast Section playoffs ongoing, Frederick will continue playing throughout the year with Monterey Bay United Water Polo Club and is eager to see what his future entails as a college freshman next fall.