General Hospital Star Josh Swickard Pushes Himself To The Limits In Incredible Competition

"General Hospital" star Josh Swickard's journey to becoming an actor was an interesting one. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, he explained that he was first discovered by a modeling agent as a teenager and worked as a model to help pay for college, where he studied accounting. After a couple of years, though, he got tired of both and decided to try his hand at acting. 

Swickard moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a fitness instructor while auditioning, eventually landing the role of Harrison Chase on "General Hospital."  Per Soaps in Depth, he considered himself a late bloomer and didn't really get into fitness until his 20s. Even after giving up his job as a fitness instructor, he has continued to  maintain his physique for all those shirtless scenes on "General Hospital." He told the FBJ Fit website about his fitness routine, saying, "I stick to the old-school methods of working out. Push-ups, sit-ups, running, jumping rope. It worked then. It works now! I have also been into ice baths! It is a great way to help with sore muscles and aid in recovery."

Swickard recently participated in an event that pushed his skills and endurance as far as they could go, proving that he's still in peak physical condition.

"General Hospital" star Josh Swickard participated in the Malibu Triathlon on Sunday, September 18, which TV Seasons & Spoilers regarded as a big achievement. Cheering him on were his wife, Lauren Swickard, and daughter, Savannah. Before the event, Swickard posted a video on Instagram stating, "I haven't trained for it. I don't swim. I've never ridden a road bike... I'm excited to push myself and get uncomfortable." He admitted to being both scared and excited and felt that the running portion of the event would be the easiest.

After completing the triathlon, Swickard posted a picture of him and his family at the event on Instagram. In the caption, he wrote, "What an amazing experience. I would DEFINITELY recommend training for something like this, but boy, what an amazing testament to what the human body is capable of." 

He thanked his family for being there to cheer him on and ended with, "Okay, time to go ice my entire body. Swimming makes you sore in some odd places when you do the breastdoggysidebackfloat stroke...yes I made up a new stroke today." His "General Hospital" co-star Maura West — who fans may also recognize from her roles on other soaps — responded, "You look like a movie star playing someone completing a triathlon. Unreal. Congratulations. Incredible accomplishment!!!"