Swimmer Profile – Megan Stephens

Name of Swimmer: MEGAN KATE STEPHENS
Main stroke: FREESTYLE
Squad Allocation: ELITE MIDDLE DISTANCE







 

1. At what age did you start swimming?

• I started training and swimming CGA’s when I was 15.

2. Was your first club Waterborn. If not at which club did you start your swimming career with?

• My first club was Sharks.

3. How many years have you been at Waterborn? You obviously enjoy the vibe? Tell us a little on this?

• I have been with Waterborn for 4 years, I was with Andrea at Linden for my first year. I love Waterborn, the vibe is great. Everyone supports and pushes each other in and out of the pool. We are closer than most other squads.

4. Do you believe that it is good to train on all these juices the market offers? Do you take multi-vitamins?

• I don’t really train on juices and stuff like that but I guess it’s just up to the swimmer and what make them happy. I just take Vitamin C and stuff to keep my immune system up.

5. Do you follow a specific diet during the season, hard training and then adjust this prior to race days? What nutritional aspects do you think are important for a swimmer to know.

• I try to eat ‘healthy’, I don’t add salt or sugar to my food, use butter or drink fizzy drinks. I eat lots of veggies. I think a swimmer needs to remember that what works for one person may not work for you, so you need to figure that out for yourself.

6. How do/did you cope with both school academics and the time required to train each day?

• Time management! I have always planned my day keeping in mind that I have 2 hours less in my day than other kids, I don’t waste time.

7. What do you think makes you a stronger person? Who / what has helped you?

• My family has helped and so have Peter & Frank. They have taught me a lot about life not just swimming. Keeping in mind my goals keeps me going and pushing myself makes me stronger.

8. What are your swimming strengths? What are your swimming weaknesses? What have you done to try and build on your weaknesses?

• My strength is longer distance and pulling. My weakness is kicking…. I suck at kicking. I just remind myself everyday what my goals are and I push hard in training.

9. When did you realise that you could achieve a higher level of success?

• When I swam a 2.24 for 200m free and Pete shouted at me and told me I should be swimming a 2.08, half a year later I did.

10. What makes you want to succeed at swimming at the highest level – what drives you to want to be one of the best?

• Seeing people I know perform at such high levels like Jean and Chad makes me want to be at that level too. Athletes like Penny Heyns, Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps are real inspiration to me.

11. Is there a specific time of the year that you find the workouts most challenging and when is this?

• TRAINING CAMP! Obviously it’s the hardest, two weeks of training twice a day is the point where people can really break down or step-up.

12. When you are in the midst of a challenging workout what goes through your head –what do you think about or tell yourself?

• Honestly, I tell myself that if the boys (Ricky Ellis in particular) can do this, then so can I. Sometimes I shout or complain in my head but it always goes back to my goals and what I want from swimming.

13. Can you think of a moment in your swimming career that was not fun (or did not feel like anything positive could come of it) when it happened, but looking back, taught you something that has helped make you a better swimmer?

• When I had my appendix removed 2 weeks before level 3 in 2009. I was worried but I still ended up swimming well, “If you do it on a bad day you can do it on any day”.

14. Have you ever been drug tested – what was the experience like?

• Yeah, a little scary but I had nothing to worry about.

15. What is it about swimming or you that keeps you in the pool?

• I guess you can say that swimming is my “safe place”, it’s the place where I am most comfortable and at ease. I think I am addicted to the water.

16. Any message you have for up and coming swimmers?

• Nothing is more powerful that your mind! If you set goals and stick to them then you can achieve anything. You have to work for it though, nothing comes without hard work. “Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men”.