Tatum Stewart, Champaign Central High School

 

 

When did you start swimming? How did you get started? What teams or clubs have you swum with?

 

I started swimming when I was about seven or eight years old. I began my �competitive career� on the Sholem Sharks with Carole Wright in the summer, and joined Aquachiefs later that winter. I swam with the team for about a year before joining Storm Aquatics on which I swam for about seven years. During my four years at Champaign Central High School I swam on the Central Girls� Swim Team.

 

Are you excited about your final year of swimming with your high school?

 

Unfortunately this was my last year swimming with my high school team, which I loved and of which I will always have the finest of memories. I will miss all the girls and especially Will Barker who has been my coach for quite a long time. However, at the same time I think knowing it was my last year swimming on the high school team made it that much more enjoyable and exciting for me.

 

What are your swimming goals for the year?

 

I don�t have many swimming goals at this point. My most pressing �goal� you could say is to get back in the swing of practicing. I am on a swimming hiatus at this point and hope to be back to the pool by this summer.

 

What are your college plans?  Will you swim?  What do you plan to major in?

 

I will be attending the University of Chicago this fall and I plan on swimmingJ. I wasn�t sure before just because I didn�t know if I could last out a season, but I can�t imagine my life without swimming. Also, I had a very positive experience on my high school team and want to continue to be a part of something similar to it in college as well. I plan to major in International Studies and hope to go into Human Rights, which may or may not lead to a law degree.

 

What have you learned from swimming, besides how to move through the water like a dolphin?

 

Other than swimming like a dolphinJ�I have learned the importance of a positive and inclusive team atmosphere. I know on my high school swim team at Central High School I have had numerous valuable, life-changing experiences and have made many great relationships, none of which would have been possible without the encouraging team atmosphere my coaches facilitated. It is one thing to be swimming on a team and another to be a part of the team.

 

What is your favorite swimming memory?

 

My favorite swimming memories were of my high school state meet freshman and senior years. The Central Girls Swim Team got all three relays to state and had a handful of individual qualifiers. Because we had so many relays we also had a lot of alternates come up the state with us. It prolonged the team experience and everyone had a blast. Fifteen girls, two minivans, three hotel rooms: it was great.

 

What is your favorite event?

 

My favorite event would be the medley relay. You have a chance to share the anxiety and excitement with three other teammates and it�s enough to get anyone really pumped up. I usually swim fly, and it�s nice because it�s only a 50 and I can handle those: short and sweet.

 

What's your favorite movie? Favorite food?

 

I have many favorites of both�I think a couple of my favorite movies are �Thank You For Smoking� and �Running With Scissors.� They are very interesting and I found them to be extremely funny. Favorite foods would be mangos (and mango smoothies), raspberries, cheesecake (with whipped cream), pasta with marinara sauce, and chocolate chip pancakes (particularly from OHOP) with a lot of whipped cream.

 

What 3 people would you invite to dinner?

 

I have two dinner scenarios. One would be with my three friends from Central: Allie Huber, Vikki Blanco, and Tanya Chen�we tend to be obnoxious together, but we have fun. Or with Mary Lockman, Mamie Hobbs, and Will Barker all of whom share my experience from Central High School swimming these past four years.

 

Tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising or interesting.

 

I have been skiing since I was seven�so about as long as I have been swimming. My grandmother has a cottage up in Michigan and every year my family makes it a point to go up and ski for the week. I recently picked up snowboarding and although it proved to be very painful at first I have improved [more or less] dramatically which is nice.