By Jim Baer
Photograph By Peter Newcomb
Why is competitive swimming so important to you? I have this drive to see what I can do. And I like to race--I think it's fun. Swimming is a natural rhythm, part of what I do every day. It's relaxing: You go to practice and you don't have to worry about anything else; you just focus on your training and for two or three hours, everything else goes out of your mind.
At this year's state high-school meet, you broke two individual records. That's only happened five times in 30 years. How did it feel? Well, it proves you don't always have to be the best to go somewhere. When I was 6 years old, I was not the best swimmer, by a long shot. This reflects well on my coaches and on the training I go through every day--6,000 to 8,000 meters at every practice, so eight to 10 times a week, plus an hour of dry land, running and strength training.
You broke the meet record at the National Club Swimming Association Junior Nationals, setting the fastest time ever for the 200 breaststroke. How realistic is it to think you might earn a berth on the U.S. Olympic Team in 2008? It's always been a dream, but now it's starting to feel possible. I am coming into the realization that I am a nationalcaliber athlete. I'm not just little Liz Smith in the small pond anymore.
You enjoy being a team member in a sport mostly noted for individual performances--why? The team effort is what keeps you going, especially when you're a breaststroker. As you come off each stroke, you can hear the roar and encouragement of your teammates, and you know they're behind you all the way. Training with my friends, knowing they are just as tired as I am and we can work together and go for that extra yardage, makes all the difference.
You belong to the National Honor Society. How do you manage that? My cumulative [grade-point average] is 4.57, and schoolwork definitely comes before swimming. If I have to do homework past 10 o'clock, I don't go to swim practice the next morning.
Training endless hours, there's always a chance of burnout. How do you avoid it? My philosophy, and my coaches' philosophy, has always been to increase the yardage and the intensity of training--then you always have somewhere to go. Believe me, I didn't start out with all this raw talent. I had some, but I had to work hard. I still haven't gone on to full weights. I do some medicine ball, and I've done a lot of aerobics and speed work.
What colleges interest you? Definitely Stanford--they have a real big winning streak. But their coach, Richard Quick, just retired, and he was a great coach, so that will be a detriment to the program. Also Auburn and Georgia--along with Florida, they have won the last seven NCAA titles. Stanford is a great school, but it's a long way from home, and my parents are a really big part of my life.
What are your interests when you get away from swimming? I've played violin since third grade. Music is calming when you are stressed. It can help me relax and get my mind off how sore my muscles are. Also, I really do enjoy all forms of art--drawing, painting, sculpting. I think I get that gene from my mom.
How do you gain the winning edge? In swimming, if you don't have efficiency, you cannot sustain your speed for the longer races. So you can't just be working hard; you need to be going really fast. The ultimate goal for swimmers is to maintain maximum speed and maximum efficiency, and that comes through technique, a lot of which is based on core strength, to be able to keep your balance and posture and stay stable and relaxed.
What got you into competition in the first place? We took a trip to Sea World when I was 3 or 4 years old, and all I wanted to do was swim with the dolphins and whales and train them when I got older. My mom said, "You can do that, but first you have to learn how to swim." So I got started on our local summer-league team and really enjoyed it. Then it went to year-round swimming and just kind of took off from there.
