Competing in the Olympics is a dream come true for any athlete, so when Esau Simpson got the call to represent his country in London, he “dove” at the opportunity.
Simpson, senior biology major, is captain of the men’s swim team and has been swimming since he was 7. He specializes in the sprint freestyle stroke.
Simpson was born in New York but was raised in Grenada, an island in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. He considers his biggest supporters to be the group of kids in Grenada whom he used to train with and who look up to him. He eventually wants to coach athletes and hopes to work in the field of exercise and sports science.
While in high school, Simpson swam at Presentation Brothers College. His senior season, he won a gold medal in every race at the inter-high school swim meet.
Simpson came to NSU in 2010 and in 2012, he represented Grenada at the London Olympics. Simpson posted a time of 53.26 in the 100-meter freestyle to win the second heat. That time, set a new Grenadian national record. Overall, Simpson placed 43rd out of 60 competitors in the event.
He plans on swimming after he graduates, although he says he will take a few months off after he swims with his team at the NCAA national meet at the end of this season. He also looks forward to representing Grenada again in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“I hope to improve on all of the strokes, power swimming, and all of the different techniques and forms,” said Simpson.
As a junior, Simpson was an honorable mention All-American in the 50-yard freestyle, 200-freestyle relay, 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay.
At the SSC championships, he came in second place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20.40. This was his best finish of the meet.
I met with Simpson to learn more about his athlete skills and aspirations.
What was it like to participate in the London Olympics?
“It was fantastic. The size of the entire Olympic games was marvelous, and I would like to go back just for that aspect and to have that same feeling I had again.”
Did you meet anyone inspirational at the Olympics? Famous?
“[San Antonio Spurs basketball player] Tony Parker, who was a really nice guy. I just walked up to him and started to talk with him for 15 minutes about random things. He was probably one of the highlights of the entire meet because he was so cool and down to earth.”
What are some of your most memorable times swimming at NSU?
“My sophomore year, when it was my first time making it to the national meet with another teammate of mine. We knew it was the last race of the entire conference meet and this was our last chance to make it to nationals. We made it by .03 seconds.”
What do you like to do outside of swimming?
“Kick back and relax. I also like to go to the beach a lot because it reminds me of home. It’s my calming place. I love to fish as well, which is ironic because I have fish allergies.”
What’s your fondest memory from back home?
“Every year, we have a carnival season, which is a big festival. It’s two days of people dancing in pretty costumes throughout the towns. There are thousands of people and I definitely plan to go again this year. It’s something I look forward to every year.”
Who do you look up to? Who is your inspiration?
“Roy-Allan Burch. He is from Bermuda and qualified for the last Olympics as well and is a good friend. He’s a down-to-earth guy and his motivation, what he does in the pool, and his outlook on swimming in general is what I want to follow.”
If you could play against or with any athlete, who would it be?
“Mark Spitz. He was breaking records before people even thought about doing it. He had the first seven gold medals in the Olympics and I would definitely like to race him.”
What is your daily schedule like?
“The majority of my days, I wake up at 5:30 for practice from 6 to 8 a.m. Then I go to work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. After work, I go back to practice from 2 to 4:30 p.m. I have class from 6 to 8:30 p.m., then I go home and make dinner for myself and I’m hopefully in bed by 10 to 10:30 p.m.”
What else would you like readers to know about you?
“I cross my toes when I get nervous. I listen to all different types of music and I’m open to anything. I am a very approachable and outgoing person who loves to have fun.”
