To Blake Woodrow, freshman psychology major, the advantage of being a student-athlete is being able to transfer valuable lessons from swimming to school.
Woodrow, a Fort Myers native, has been swimming for 12 years and was a top 10 swimmer in the nation during his childhood as a member of various swimming clubs, which also allowed him to travel.
Woodrow swam at Fort Myers High School from 2010 to 2014, and he also swam for the Gulf Coast swim team. His talent came naturally, but he soon came to realize that hard work and practice are needed to maintain his success.
“I started off pretty natural, and I didn’t have to work too hard to be good at it. I got too comfortable with that feeling though, and I thought that natural talent would just carry me through the rest of the way,” Woodrow said. “That’s why I went from being great to not being so great. After this year, I kind of relearned that I must work hard to maintain my talent, and I learned that all the hard work was worth it in the end.”
Woodrow’s chance to get back into swimming came as he searched for a school that would allow him to swim competitively again.
“I came here to NSU, and I can say that I’ve had a better year than what I thought I would,” he said.
I got the chance to sit down with Woodrow and ask a couple of questions to get to know him better.
Did you play any other sports growing up?
“I tried baseball and a few other sports, but once I tried swimming, I just knew it had to be it. I never took other sports seriously.”
Will you continue to swim after college?
“If you asked me that question a year ago, I would’ve probably said no. Now, I definitely plan to continue swimming. It’s a great way to stay in shape. When I joined the team at NSU, I realized that it’s something that I want to do for the rest of my life.”
What aspect of swimming attracted you to the sport?
“It’s the fact that each individual swims for himself, but at the same time it’s a team sport. It provides me with a whole different sense of ‘team’ because we’re all working towards the same goal but in a different way.”
What has been your most memorable moment swimming?
“This year, pretty much everything was a memorable moment for me once we got into the championship season. At one of the meets, I went really fast, and the coaches were afraid that I would wear out, but I ended up doing great. My whole team was there and very happy for me. That was definitely one of the best top three memories.”
How did the period when you weren’t actively swimming affect you?
“That period did discourage me a bit. I never really took a break at that time, but I kind of started slowing down, so when I took a month and a half off, everyone thought I would just quit. It was hard to get though that. It was definitely nice sleeping in the morning, but I told myself that I need to get uncomfortable.”
How did you decide to start swimming again?
“I made all my decisions by myself. I knew that whatever I wanted was final. But, I guess the most encouraging thing is the fact that my mom will back me up with whatever decision I made. She always comes to our meets. Even if I told my mom that I want to quit swimming, she would’ve been behind me on that 100 percent.”
Who’s the most influential person in your life?
“My mom. She taught me a lot of things. When you go from being good in your life to being behind the curtain and not having a lot of attention, you have a lot to learn. You have to learn to be humble and realize that that can happen to you any time in your life. My club coaches and my mom were most supportive. It’s just about the comfort of knowing that someone was there for you.”
When’s the time you felt most proud of yourself?
“Again, I would say this year. It was my comeback, I guess. My swims at nationals and my swims at conference made me feel proud. I broke a team record, which was really the icing on the cake because I wasn’t expecting it. Although it was seventh place, I’ll take anything I can. It’s an accomplishment. I’ve never been that proud, because I felt like I put in the work for it, and it paid off.”
Do you have any special rituals before jumping in the pool?
“I just warm up, and I get nervous, but I know that getting in the water will calm me down. I splash myself with water so I can know what the water feels like. It’s a mental game before the race. I just face it as it is.”
How do you celebrate winning?
“The thing with distance swimming is that, once you finish the event, you see your time and, as happy as you want to be and as high as you want to jump, you’re just drained. It takes time to absorb all this.”
Do you think practicing is harder if you’re not swimming well?
“Yes. I used to wake up and just decide not to go to practice, and that, obviously, wasn’t a good attitude that would get me anywhere. So, coming into NSU, you can’t miss practices at all, and that teaches me commitment. The very first practice I had here, I was late, so I had to do stairs, and that was pretty embarrassing, but it taught me that I need to get my head in line.”
How do you balance between school and swimming?
“This semester, we had to miss a week for conferences and a week for nationals. It’s hard catching up. It’s helpful to having the proper balance of being able to work effectively between school and swimming and also being able to have fun.”
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
“I would go to the Himalayas because it’s breathtaking. Growing up in Florida, I’ve had enough of the beach, so it’s not a destination for me. I would definitely go somewhere that has something we’re deprived of in Florida.”
Who’s your favorite swimmer?
“Fran Crippen. He was an open water swimmer for the U.S. team. He swam in Dubai, and due to the intense heat and people not properly monitoring his race, he died. To the whole swimming world, that was mind-blowing. It was unfortunate for me because I actually met him a few weeks before that incident. He came with other Olympians to an open water event, and he had given me my medal — because I got first place — in front of all those people. He gave me my medal, and we took pictures. I cherish that medal. It’s probably the best medal that I got.”
When you’re not in the water or doing school work, how do you spend your time?
“I play the guitar. I taught myself guitar during the summer of my sophomore year in high school. I brought two guitars with me. I hang out with my friends and do what they’re doing, but when I’m alone I just play the guitar.”
Photo Credit: COURTESY OF M.CALLAHAN
