This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Madison's Muckle Accomplished in Water and Classroom

If ever stranded on a desert island, Madison's Chris Muckle might be the fastest way to a rescue. Chris is a soon-to-be senior at Xavier High School, a member of the crew and sailing teams, a sailing instructor at the Madison Surf Club, as well as a nationally-recognized engineer. While he has yet to design his own boat, his understanding of both sailing and engineering would make him a favorite of anyone shipwrecked.

"I haven't really thought about [designing a boat], but it would be pretty cool. I'd like that," Chris says.

Chris has had a passion for water sports since an early age, when his cousins introduced him to sailing as teachers at Sharing Wind at the Madison Surf Club. When he came to Xavier as a freshman, Chris quickly joined the crew team, and then as a sophomore, joined the sailing team as a crewman. Chris has continued to row in the fall and sail in the spring, as well as take time during the summer to teach week-long sailing classes at the Surf Club.

"I've always loved the water and boating. I started sailing when I was about eight years old," says Chris.

At the Surf Club, Chris works with a wide range of novice sailors primarily ranging between the ages of 10 and 14 years old, even working with one man who was 76. The goal is to teach the basics of sailing in hopes that campers can hit the open waters on their own by week's end.

"The first day we have an hour-long talk about where rocks are, how to sail upwind, crosswind, and downwind," he says. "Thursday or Friday we take a trip, like last week when we went near the Thimble Islands. Hopefully, by the end of the week they know all the simple things."

Chris's passion for teaching this course came from his own positive experience in the class when he was just a beginner.

"I took the course when I was seven and it was great; everyone was very enthusiastic," Chris says. "They had you keep going and you made a lot of good friends from Madison. I really enjoyed it."

But teaching kids the difference between starboard and port, and knots and currents is just half of the battle. Most of the youngsters Chris takes under his wing have one fear or another about the open water.

"It varies a lot. I had one kid terrified of sharks. Some are scared of flipping over and jellyfish, but the biggest fears are getting hit in the head with the boom, getting injured, or lost," says Chris.

Chris might be more qualified to teach a class on engineering than sailing. As a member of the Xavier Engineering Club, Chris was part of team whose computer design of a Boeing 747 wing won the Governor's Cup in the Energy Department Real World Design Challenge. Teams must design a pre-determined object on a computer and take into account every real world possibility from fuel use to aerodynamics. Chris's team's design was not only named as Connecticut's best, but beat out the other 23 nationally competing teams to win the national title.

"I spent at least 10 hours a week on the design," he says. "It was the number one priority, before homework and before friends, definitely. After we won states it was a really good feeling to know all our work didn't go to waste."

Last year's nationally crowned champions were invited to the White House, an opportunity Chris is pining for.

"We are waiting to hear if we get invited. That would mean a lot to me and it would definitely be an experience I'd never forget," Chris says.

While for some crunching numbers on a computer and steering a ship through the open water may be polar opposites, Chris does see some similarities between his two passions.

"I think the engineering challenge applies the same kind of principles as in sailing," says Chris. "Engineering helps you figure out different things that will make you go faster and sail better."

Chris is a high honors student and has already narrowed down his college search to a short list of pristine institutions. Chris says he is looking at Northeastern, Boston University, the University of St. Andrews, and the University of Edinburgh, (the latter two are located in the United Kingdom) and hopes to study international business and minor in industrial engineering.

While so many athletes are recognized for their ability to run, catch, or throw, Chris is just fine being a different sort of athlete-one who succeeds with a strong head on his shoulders and a heavy passion for what he loves.

"I'm not much of a jock; I don't care for the recognition," he says. "I like being below the radar and not being well-known. I'd rather be in less-known sports and have people ask me about them."