School spirt and getting students excited and pepped up is something that makes high school athletics fun.
It’s not an easy thing to do but Hopewell High School has found a way, and it’s been very successful.
If you attend any Hopewell sporting event, you’ve probably noticed a student dressed up in a Viking outfit, near the student section.
We’d like to introduce you to Christian Chalmers and give him some recognition because he’s doing a GREAT job in this role.
Chalmers is in his first year as ‘The Viking”, as he took over for Zack Kovell, who was an absolute legend in that role.
Recently, Vikings Sports Now had the opportunity to talk with Chalmers and what led him to want to inherit the role of ‘The Viking’?
“Midway during my freshman year, I walked up to Zack, knowing that he was a senior, and asked him if he knew who ‘The Viking” was going to be next year,” Chalmers told VSN. “He told me, ‘It might be you’ as a joke but I took it serious as started pursuing the role. From there, I’d ask him once a month if anyone else had expressed interest in being it. Once I found out that no one asked about it, I decided to take the lead.”
“I initially approached Zack about it because I thought it was a super cool thing to do. I first got the idea in my head midway during the football season in my freshman season that I might want to try and do it. From there, I went to the basketball games, volleyball matches and just saw how hyped up he was as ‘The Viking’. I saw the energy that he brought and thought that was something that I could do”
Getting up in front of your fellow classmates and strangers and try to get them to cheer and hyped up is not something that everyone is cut out to do. I can tell you that I’d never have the guts to do that. However, that’s something that’s completely in Christian’s wheelhouse.
“I’ve always been an outgoing person and really don’t care what people have to say about me (laughing),” said Chalmers. “If they don’t like me, that’s ok, not everyone has to like me. I just try my best to be as nice and as outgoing as possible.”
Chalmers is wrapping up his first sports season and preparing for the winter sports schedule and is happy with how things have gone.
“My first week doing it, I’ll admit, it was pretty tough because I didn’t know exactly what to do,” said Chalmers. “But then it got to a point where I realized that I had to just be myself, it started getting way easier. I had started having fun, messing around with the student section, yelling with my friends and cheering on the team.”
“I just love everything about it, just being able to show my Viking Pride. I just love having the opportunity to make the students and all the teams that I’m cheering for laugh and not be stressed out about having to win the game. We’re all there to have fun watching and playing the game.”
As a fan, Chalmers tells me that his favorite sport to watch is football but admits that he’s really looking forward to being ‘The Viking’ for the upcoming basketball season.
“I love football, but I think it’s going to be really fun cheering at basketball games because more people can hear you. If you go to any of the basketball games, trust me, you’ll hear me.”
Congratulations Christian and great job in your first year as ‘The Viking’!
