07/28/2026
Ryan Lopynski Award Nomination:
International Country Club is very proud to nominate Karan Chugh for the Ryan Lopynski Award of Excellence. I must admit, I have been looking forward to nominating this young man for several years, as the other members of the ICC Gator family believe that Karan encompasses the spirit and possesses the characteristics expected of those whose name will be engraved on the trophy, adding to the memory and legacy that Ryan Lopynski established for the leaders of the DCCL.
Karan Chugh is what we at ICC call a ‘Lifer’. He has been a member of the ICC Gator Swim Team since he was 6 years old. In that time, he has seen and been a part of all that the DCCL has to offer; being part of a team with swimmers ranging in age from 4-18, he has been a member of relays that have set ICC records, been to All Stars, as well as on the podium. He has been a part of and has now planned the team Fun Fridays, attends practice daily, participates, and has been the MC for many and ICC Thursday night Pep Rally (most recently having done so this past Thursday at Gators Got Talent), lead our Gators Give back imitative last year with our Sr swimmers joining and visiting the Sunrise Senior Living Facility, has actively supported past causes of the Gator initiative (including this years – a Swim A Thon, for the Hope Floats Foundation, in which swimmers raised money and swam 100 laps). Karan has been an ICC Winter Swim Coach, has coached our Little Chompers, and has been an Asst Coach with our 8 & unders and 9-12’s for the past few years.
As if that isn’t enough, outside the pool, Karan has also shown that he is a young man of integrity through his multiple acts of Service. In his time at Flint Hill High School, years 2022 – 2026, Karan has been a member of the Vienna/Oakton Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League, with over 300+ hours, while also being awarded several awards for his service hours, which include the YMSL Legacy Award, Top Dog Award and the Senior Spirit of Service Award, all of which in part were due to the large amounts o time he has given back and served the community. Along with those hours, Karan became a regular part of the support staff in the kitchen and game rooms at the Sunrise Living community. He has distinguished himself with the money he has raised for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and his participation in honoring members of Honor Flights arriving at Dulles Airport.
All the while, Karan has swum year round for York Swim Club, has successfully taken 8 AP courses, been a member of the Flint Hill Student Council Association, a Flint Hill Upper School Ambassador and Member of the Varsity Swim Team at Flint Hill for all 4 years, elected Team Captain from 2024-26 and was the Flint Hill Husky Award winner his Sr. year, for which the criteria are: Awarded to a team member that demonstrates leadership and pride throughout the team by motivating other teammates and setting an example for other swimmers to follow.
Having coached Karan, both as an age grouper at York Swim Club and for all his 12 years on ICC, I must say I am humbled by his resume and commitment to service. But it is not because of the list of accomplishments, the awards, or the numerous hours of service that I nominate Karan for this award. Rather, it is because of the person Karan is: his respect for life, willingness to reach out and help anyone in need, and his calm manner and personability. Karan is the first one to check on you, ask how to help, pump teammates up, offer support without having to be asked – it is his true nature. All of which is to say, that Karan Chugh is a man of integrity, who exemplifies what it means to be dedicated to his team and teammates, an example of true sportsmanship and the first to encourage and take part in any activities whether they be cheering, dressing up as the Gator, coming to relay Carnival or day 2 of All-Stars (swimming or not) and lead by example, through both word his actions.
I believe all who have had the pleasure of knowing and competing with Karan in the DCCL all these years would agree that he is a man worthy of the nomination for the Ryan Lopynski Award of Excellence. Gator Nation and I hope you also find Karan worthy of being the recipient of this award for the 2026 season.
Ryan Lopynski Memorial Award
The Dominion Country Club League honors the (male) swimmer who most exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, dedication, and team spirit.
About the Ryan Lopynski Award of Excellence
The DCCL Ryan Lopynski Trophy is awarded annually to a 15–18-year-old boy in recognition of his excellence in "sportsmanship, leadership, dedication, and team spirit." This honoree will be selected from nominations submitted by the coach of each DCCL team. The recipient's name will be engraved on the trophy annually at the conclusion of the swim season and will be presented at the All-Star Finals Awards Ceremony.
This trophy was created to honor the memory of Ryan Lopynski, a veteran league participant from The Country Club of Fairfax. Ryan, who passed away April 26, 2009, at the age of 18, swam for CCF for ten years until he graduated from Robinson Secondary School and went to Virginia Tech, where he distinguished himself as a student, friend, and young man of promise. CCF Coach Tom Verdin said, "Ryan truly exemplified the qualities that this Trophy seeks to honor in our swimmers. He served as an outstanding role model of sportsmanship and dedication for our team."
In 2013, the Ryan Lopynski Big Heart Foundation (www.ryanlopynski.org), a 501 (c) (3) public foundation, was established to honor Ryan and to increase public awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest through education and action. By exposing SCA as a grave health risk that claims the lives of 30 young adults per week in the US, the hope is to empower our families and communities to reduce the occurrence of SCA and save lives.
