Warren’s Mason Francis practices in the Ohio River in preparation for his upcoming senior swim season. (Courtesy photo)

VINCENT — Mason Francis is anything but traditional when it comes to his swimming career.

And that’s just the way he likes it.

Anyone who remembers the fourth installment of the Rocky movies when Rocky trains for his boxing match against Russian boxer Ivan Drago will recall that he sets up his training base at a cabin in a remote part of the Soviet Union and does roadwork in deep snow over mountainous terrain and works out utilizing antiquated farm equipment.

Lacking a local pool which acclimates to long course training or training period, Francis’ situation draws similarities to Rocky. During the offseason, he uses the waters of the Ohio River as his facility.

“Friends thought I was crazy when I first started training in the river, and now with everything that has happened they still think I’m crazy,” laughed Francis, who won individual state titles in both the 50 and 100 freestyle at the Ohio High School State Meet in Division II this past February as a junior at Warren High School. “It is a little crazy.”

Warren’s Mason Francis practices in the Ohio River in preparation for his upcoming senior swim season. (Courtesy photo)

“I started doing this last year. Since I have no pool to train in, my lifting trainer Randy Gibbs said why don’t I come down to the river and swim. I said, ‘Are you serious?’ And here we are.”

Training day begins with Gibbs and Francis kayaking off the levee from the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta to the I-77 bridge. There, Francis enters the water and begins his workout.

Last year, workouts included swimming 2,000 yards without stopping. This year, the focus is more on sprinting for long course facilities. Even though it’s not the ideal simulation, he feels his muscular endurance improving with both approaches.

“Something is better than nothing,” said Francis, who has competed in two long course meets this summer. At Gahanna, he placed first in both the 50 butterfly and 50 breaststroke, and seventh in the 100 free.

One week later at a meet in Bowling Green, Ky., he won both the 50 fly and 100 free and was runner-up in the 50 free.

“The first meet was pretty disappointing – I don’t like losing,” Francis said. “I went into the meet pretty confident, but didn’t leave very confident.”

A humbling experience only makes Francis work that much harder. And so a trip such as the one which began with his departure Wednesday for a two-week training camp in Hawaii with Warren teammate John Randall should give him the tools to take his game to another level. His father, Mike Francis, is accompanying the two boys.

Bill Bauer, who will be the head coach for Warren swimming for the 2024-25 season, got the wheels in motion for this experience to occur.

“The opportunity was a big surprise,” Francis said earlier this week. “We will see how the training helps. I’m looking forward to it because it will be the first time I’ve practiced in a 50-meter pool.

“I’m a little scared, too, because I will be jumping in with guys who have done this their entire life.”

When Francis returns to the Mid-Ohio Valley, he will get right back into the Ohio River and train until the waters become too cold. During the summer months, he has his share of waves from passing boats to contend with along with foreign objects making contact as he takes his strokes.

“There are a lot of boats, so there are a lot of waves,” Francis said. “When you try to take a breath and your mouth gets really full, it’s unnerving.

“On occasion, something will touch me. It’s been pretty nasty. If something touches it could be a stick or somebody’s hand floating. It’s not far-fetched when you think about it.”

Francis, who made a verbal commitment to attend Ohio State University, made his presence felt at the state meet this year in Canton – only one year earlier he finished second in the 50 free and fifth in the 100 free.

“I never imagined all this would happen,” Francis said. “Before my freshman year I was just middle of the pack. Then I got great coaching and got great opportunities, and I also got into the weight room.

“Freshman year is when it all started happening. It’s just about loving the game and hard work.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com