Get To Know T2 Aquatic's Anne-Marie Botek

This interview is with T2 Aquatic’s Anne-Marie Botek. Anne-Marie, who is in the first year of her post-grad career, has enjoyed many successes so far in competitive swimming.

Those successes for the former University of Georgia standout have come in the forms of a national championship in the 200 medley relay at the 2009 NCAAs, multiple All-American performances, first team All-SEC honors, school records, and 16 High School All-American honors.

In this SwimUtopia interview Anne-Marie tells us about the reason for her move to T2 Aquatics and how that transition has been thus far.

Let's get started!

What team do you currently swim for?

T2 Aquatics in Naples, FL.

What caused you to move out to Naples and train with T2 Aquatics?

At the end of this past summer I took a hard look at what wanted to accomplish from both a swimming and a professional career standpoint. There was no question in my mind that I wanted to keep swimming, but I also knew that I would be facing the dilemma of many a post-grad; finding a viable source of income to fund my swimming habit.

I initially contacted Paul because I had swum for him when I was younger, and I remembered enjoying his unique approach to coaching. After having a discussion with him about the vision of T2 being both an age group juggernaut and a viable option for post-grad swimmers, I felt that it might be the type of program I was looking for.

The T2 staff is committed to providing opportunities for post-grads, and they have made efforts to seek out members of the local business community who are receptive to hiring athletes that want to further their professional careers in tandem with their athletic careers. I found this to be a boon because, as any working post-grad will tell you, it is a monumental task to find a situation where both your coach and your boss are willing to work with you to help you realize your athletic and professional goals.

The opportunity to work with such a talented coach, in a team-oriented environment, while having a job in my chosen career field made the decision a relative no-brainer.
Plus, you can’t beat the weather down here!

Has it been hard transitioning back into club swimming since you graduated last year?

There is definitely a sense of disconnectedness that you feel when you initially make the move from collegiate athlete to post grad athlete. College swimming is so wonderfully team-focused, and when you are suddenly ripped away from that environment it is difficult to adjust.

However, T2 is a uniquely team-oriented club and that has made the transition smoother for me. The philosophy here is similar to that of a college team, where supporting your teammates and fighting for your team every time you dive into the water is of paramount importance.

For my part, it feels great to finally have a team banner to rally behind again.

What are some of your goals for this year?

Outside of the specific time goals that I have, I truly want to be able to say, by the end of the year, that I have fully embraced the role of being a student of the sport of swimming. 

What has it been like training with everyone at T2 Aquatics?

In a word, it has been incredible. 

Watching the coaches, arrayed along the pool deck, shouting out encouragement and paces, is like watching a group of master artists at work.   Though they each have a unique approach to the instruction of their charges, they are a powerful force united by their passion for the sport of swimming.

The swimmers have been an absolute delight to work with. There is an infectious vivaciousness that pervades the pool deck here, manifesting in age groupers and older swimmers alike. It is an environment that has enabled me to reconnect with, and ground myself in, the purity of our sport.

Honestly, there are evenings when I like to stay at the pool after my practice has finished just so I can revel in the growth of our team. To be able to get in on the ground floor of burgeoning program is a rare opportunity, and I feel very fortunate to be able to play even a small part in the process of building T2. 

What does the T2 coaching staff do to help set you up for success?

The most impactful thing that the Paul and Kevin have done is to guide me to the realization that I know very little about the technical side of my swimming. Literally every day I learn something new and I often leave the pool feeling a bit like a gobsmacked newbie. It might sound weird, but it is really an amazing feeling.

Discovering how unsophisticated I am as a swimmer has been simultaneously freeing and exciting because it indicates that there is tremendous room for improvement in my swimming. 

What has been your most memorable moment so far in swimming?

Definitely being a member of an NCAA Championship winning relay team. In 2009, our 200 medley relay wasn’t even really expected to final and even when we did make it to the top eight, no one besides the four of us really thought that we had a chance to win.

It was an incomparable feeling to share the thrill of such an unlikely win, not only with the three girls on the relay, but also with the other girls on the Georgia team. The moment was made even more poignant due to the fact that we were locked in such a tight battle for the overall team championship.

What are your top times?

SCY
100 Fly - 52.34
50 Free - 21.80

LCM
50 free-24.89

What would you say motivates you?

Throughout my career, it has always been the setbacks that I have faced and the doubts of others that I have found most motivating. When you are pushing hard to achieve a certain goal and the world begins to find ways to push back against you; that is when you know that you are on the right track.

What are some things that people may not know about you?

This is probably kind of weird, but my go to response for this kind of question has always been this; I used to have a sixth finger on my left hand. It was small and I have since had it removed, but it was there.

What is your favorite pump-up band or artist to listen to before racing?

It varies; really anything with a good backbeat and killer lyrics.

What is your favorite food?

The incomparable Godiva Brownie Sundae from the Cheesecake Factory. No other food item even comes close to matching its awesomeness!

Who has been the most influential person in your life?

The most influential person in my life so far is actually a former club coach of mine, Scott Ward. During my final two years of high school Coach Ward gave me a sanctuary in which I was able to regain my passion for swimming. He taught me scores of lessons on how to not only be a better swimmer, but a better person.

To this day he remains a trusted mentor and friend of mine. Without the support and instruction I received from him, I would have left this sport a longtime ago.

What would you say is the hardest practice that you have ever done?

When I was younger, I remember our training group having to do a 3,000 fly for time and every stroke of it had to be legal or the entire group would start over. It was brutal.

At what point in your life did you know that you wanted to take swimming to the next level?

If I had to pinpoint a specific moment of inspiration, it would have to be this one day, at practice, when our coach showed us a compilation tape of various Olympic swimming legends and their accomplishments. Preceding each individual’s list of accolades was a montage of their greatest races.

Without fail, when each race was over, the athlete would make some sort of triumphant gesture. Even though I was pretty young at the time I remember being incredibly moved by the fist pumps and triumphant screams of those Olympic champions.

Those images really aroused a deep level of motivation within me. They compelled me to make the commitment to elevate my swimming to the highest point that I possibly could.

A link to this article can be found here at Swimutopia.com:   Getting To Know T2 Aquatics Anne Marie Botek