22-year-old Benny Liang, a part-time swim coach at Carmel Swim Club in Carmel, Indiana drowned last week. Liang is listed as a Senior Assistant on the nationally-recognized swim club’s website.
Liang, originally a Whitewater, Wisconsin native, was found at the bottom of the Woodland Country Club pool on July 20th. The Hamilton County Coroner’s autopsy results are pending, as well are toxicology report results. (News 8)
Carmel Swim Club head coach Chris Plumb said that Liang had a heart condition which forced him to stop swimming at Wabash College but spurred on his desire to become a swim coach.
“The reach he had with just the parents and the coaches and the athletes,” Plumb said. “In that short time, you just felt his presence and he lived his values and his passion each and everyday and all of us felt that.”
Wabash College sent News 8 a statement saying in part, “Benny was a very bright and outgoing young man. He was an active member of Delta Tau Delta and competed for two years on the college’s swimming and diving team. It is a tragic loss for everyone.”
Liang was highlighted in a Wabash College meet recap from 2017, available here.
Below is the bio posted on the GoFundMe page, which you can access here.
Benjamin Haoxiang Liang, always called Benny, beloved son, brother, and grandson unexpectedly passed away on July 20.
Benny, a member of Delta Tau Delta, graduated from Wabash College with a Biology major and Philosophy minor in May of 2020. Benny was set to pursue a master’s degree in Human Performance at the University of Indiana. During his High School years, Benny won a Wisconsin State title twice. However, he had to give up swimming at Wabash because of a developing heart condition. Benny never stopped his love for swimming, he moved on to coach swimmers and inspired people around him. He had been a head coach at the Woodland Country Club, and an assistant coach at Carmel Swim Club. He had previously coached at the Sugar Creek Swim Club, Indiana University, and Wabash College.
Benny loved his family and enjoys reading, writing, singing, playing guitar, and hanging out with friends. He liked sports, running, cross-country, soccer, and snowboarding. He enjoyed nature, and loved animals and plants. He never stopped enjoying life, smiling, laughing, listening, talking, and always kept on thinking. He had been a college writer for Swimming World Magazine.
He was always thinking forward, set high standards for himself, and never stopped pursuing his dreams.
Benny will be missed by his family, friends, swimmers, classmates, teammates, and more.
All proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association in his name.
Many condolences out to the family.
Deepest condolences to all of Benny!s family, friends, co-workers and swimmers. What a terrible tragedy.
Too young to die, RIP
Rest easy, brother. WAF.
Indeed. WAF.
Ugh, tragic…
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
We always enjoyed watching him race. RIP Benny.
How tragic. Prayers for his family.