PVS Athlete Representative, Virginia Ratcliff, interviewed National Team member and world record holder in the 1500M Freestyle, Kate Ziegler. Some of the questions were submitted by PVS athletes.
PVS thanks Kate for her time answering the questions, and Virginia for conducting the interview.
What is your favorite pool, anywhere? I don't really have a favorite pool but my favorite place to swim is in Australia.
When you were younger, did you have a PVS pool you considered your “Lucky pool?” If so, which one and how did it become your lucky pool? My "lucky pool" was probably the George Mason pool. I guess it became my lucky pool because I have had so much success there.
A 10 year old CURL-Burke swimmer asked: “Why did you decide to start swimming? I started swimming because I loved it. When I was three years old my mom would bring me to the pool and I would swim laps in the baby pool. I just loved being in the water. When I was six years old my parents suggested I try out the swim team. I was terrified. I cried and cried. However, I saw my sister wearing the swim team suit one day and I fell in love with it! I asked my parents if I could get one. They said they would get me one only if I went to the beginning of the season picnic and met the coach. I went and fell in love with the coach and the team.
The same swimmer asked, “which Coach out of all your coaches has taught you the best technique?” My current coach, Ray Benecki.
When you first started swimming, what was your best event? 50 fly or 50 free
Did you ever swim for a summer swim team? If so, which one and for how long? Great Falls Swim and Tennis for about 11 years.
When did you start Club Swimming? when I was 10
A Herndon Aquatics Club swimmer asked about your swimming at that club. How long did you swim for HAC? 2 years
Was it hard to change clubs? Yes, I was very reluctant to change teams. I loved swimming for HAC. But, at the time I was switching schools and FISH was much more convenient.
Have you ever been injured? Yes, I broke my foot when I was 13.
How long did the recovery take? About 3 months. Does it ever come back? I have chronic achilles tendonitis ever since; however, it hasn't been bothering me recently.
When you were injured, or at other times, have you every considered quitting? No, I've never seriously considered quitting.
Were you always fast? No. When I joined FISH and moved into the top group I was the slowest. I couldn't make any of the intervals and was getting lapped all the time.
A CURL Senior swimmer asked, “Do you have a favorite meal before races?” Not really. For breakfast I usually have a bowl of oatmeal and toast with peanut butter. I eat a lot of fruit.
“What about after races, what’s your favorite food?” Fruit, steak, apple pie, and salmon.
Do you listen to music before races? Yes.
What’s your favorite pump up song or artist to listen to before a race? I don't have one particular song I listen to. I usually listen to rap before I swim.
What is drug testing like? Its a pretty simple process. You get notified by a drug testing chaperone. They follow you around until you have to go to the bathroom, to make sure that you don't take anything or do anything to try to alter the test. Once you have to go to the bathroom and they follow you in there. Then you pour it in a kit that gets sent off to a testing lab. You fill out some forms, declaring what medications you've taken in the past couple months, your contract information, and the specifics of the test. And then a few weeks later you get the results.
What are they testing for? Steroids, supplements, and other prohibited drugs. Anything that could give you an advantage over your competition. There are some medications that are prohibited unless you get special permission. I have to get special permission to use my asthma medication.
How often do they do it? It's completely random. Sometimes its once a month and sometimes they come a couple times a month.
A 10 year old FAST athlete asked, “I was wondering how you do all the training for the Olympics. Could you tell me what a day of training is like for you?” I wake up at 4 am. Go to practice from 4:45-6:20. It's long course and usually 6,000 meters. Then I eat and take a nap. Have lunch. Afternoon practice is from 4:00-6:30 pm. It's usually 10,000 yards.
When you’re at championship meets, do you have roommates? Yes.
Do you like that or is it hard to focus? I like it because it's fun to go back to the room and joke around with my roommate. It helps me to relax.
Do you stay in hotels or with swim families when you travel for swim meets? Hotels
For the Beijing Olympics this summer, have you been learning any Chinese? No, unfortunately I don't know any Chinese. I should probably work on that!
Have you been to China before? Yes, I went to Shanghai and Beijing in 2006.
Are there special challenges for you swimming there (altitude, air quality, jet lag)? The air quality is not the best in China, but that is something that everyone is going to have to deal with. Luckily the pool is indoors, so hopefully it won't be too big an issue. Jet lag can be a problem. However, we are going to Stanford and then to Singapore for training camp before the Games. This helps to ease into the time changes.
Do you like Chinese food or will you and the US Athletes be sticking to a strict training diet? I love Chinese food, although food in China is not like what we eat when we go to PF Changs or somewhere like that. It is definitely different. There is an athletes village where they have food catered. I'm not totally sure what there will be, but the US staff will definitely make sure that everything we eat is safe.
I noticed the throng of kids swarming you after your record-breaking swim at Tom Dolan and the difficulty you had warming down with all the little guys jumping in your lane. Is that a problem? No, it's not a problem. But, cooling down is very important. So, I try to cool down and then make sure to sign all the autographs afterward.
What question do fans ask you the most often? hmmm... I don't know. There isn't really one question I always get asked.
A CUBU senior swimmer, wondered, if it bothers you to have so many people talking to you like they know you when you don’t know them, especially right after swimming a mile? No. Sometimes I feel bad because I meet a lot of people and I can't always remember their names. Then they come back up to me to say "hi" and I totally blank. But, it's to be congratulated after I swim and have people say hi.
Have you ever swum Open Water? Yes, once in Indiana.
Did you like it? No
What are you looking forward to the most about this summer? Hopefully making the Olympics and being able to experience that.
How many meets will you have preparing for Trials? I am doing about one meet a month leading up to Trials.
Do your parents go to your meets? Yes, they try to go to most of my meets. They go to all the big ones, such as Worlds and Pan Pacs. They will be going to Trials and, if I make the team, the Olympics.
Athletes, parents and officials can find information under “athlete bios” on the USA Swimming website at www.usaswimming.org. On the website, it mentions that you have 2 older siblings. Were they swimmers? My sister swam summer league for a little, but nothing serious and my brother never swam.
Do they go to your meets? They try to but it's kind of hard. They both work and my brother lives in California, so he only gets to see me when I am swimming out there.
USA Swimming lists your “training stats” as “Swims 11,000 meters/yards per day, 2-4 hours a day 6 days a week.” What day do you take off? Actually I don't have a day off. I train 7 days a week. And I probably train about 11,000-17,000 yards a day.
Back to the FAST swimmer’s question, is Olympic training different from your regular training? No, Im doing the same training as normal.
Do you ever take a break? Yes, usually as the end of the summer I get a week or two off. I think it's really important to take a break. Just mentally and physically it's good. I still exercise and swim a little on my own so I don't get too out of shape though.
What do you do to unwind and relax? I hang out with my friends, got shopping, watch movies, listen to music, and I love going to the Spa. I like to get facials and massages. And I also love to take bubble baths.
The website says you’re 5’11” and you used to play basketball and softball. When did you stop playing other sports and focus on swimming? When I was 13.
You’re attending George Mason. When will you graduate? I'm not totally sure. I didn't take a full load this semester so that I could focus on training, so I have fallen a little behind.
What is your major? I'm currently undeclared but I think I am going to major in communications.
What are your future professional (non-swimming) plans? Not really sure. I've always loved fashion and interior design so I think I may want to pursue that. However, I don't think that will be for a while.
What are your favorite movies? Oceans 11, The Notebook, The Departed, Boondock Saints, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and a bunch of others.
What is your favorite TV show this season? Gossip Girl and Grey s Anatomy
Favorite book? Harry Potter, Angels and Demons, Sundays at Tiffany's
The athlete bio lists “shopping” as your “hobbies outside the pool.” In the Washington, DC area, where is your favorite place to shop? Nordstom, Bloomingdales, JCrew