ODUSports.com sat down with Monarch swimmer Savannah Bowers for a Q&A.
Q: How long have you been swimming?
A: I have been swimming since the age of four.
Q: What made you get your start in swimming?
A: My dad used to swim, he’s a Navy Seal and he wanted all of his kids, my brother, sister and myself, to learn how to swim so we all learned young.
Q: What event(s) do you participate in competition?
A: I swim in the 200 freestyle, the 500 freestyle and the 400 individual medley.
Q: Why did you choose ODU?
A: I chose Old Dominion because I love the sports team, the people on it they welcomed me and it’s close to home.
Q: Does anyone else in your family swim?
A: My brother actually just graduated from VMI and he swam there all four years there on a full ride.
Q: What is your favorite activity to do outside of swimming?
A: I like to go to the beach.
Q: What is your favorite beach to visit other than Virginia Beach?
A: The beaches in San Diego. My dad lives there so I go there a lot.
Q: What is one of the most difficult things about swimming on a college team as opposed to a high school/club team?
A: I would have to say, that when I swam on the club team it is more for you as an individual, on the college team it is more of a team input so you are no longer swimming for yourself, but for the team. So you have to think more for the team and not just yourself.
Q: What would you like to do after you graduate in May?
A: I am going to try and go to grad school. I am a communications major so I want to go somewhere out in California and pursue my masters in communications.
Q: After you get your masters what do you want to get into?
A: I want to do public relations. I don’t want people to see me on the camera; I like to be off screen.
Q: How do you keep your body from getting exhausted or over used with multiple practices every day?
A: I have to say rest. Every time I am not swimming I am basically resting my body. I don’t know what more you can do than just resting and eating healthy (sometimes).
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: My favorite food has to be pizza. Del Vecchios is delicious.
Q: Who is your favorite Olympic swimmer?
A: Ryan Lochte.
Q: What is your pre-race/meet ritual? Do you have one?
A: I actually have to talk to my best friend. She swims on the team. And she’ll just calm me down and tell me everything is okay. I do it everyday so I might as well just do what I know how to do. And some music kind of helps.
Q: What did you want to be when you were younger? Did you always want to be a swimmer?
A: I’ve always wanted to swim and I also wanted to be a teacher when I was younger. I still kind of want to do it maybe in the future, but not right now.
Q: If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?
A: I’d want to fly, because it would just be cool. And then you don’t have to walk places and it would just be more convenient. You could skip the traffic, and travel wherever you want. It would be really cool I think.
Q: What is your favorite holiday?
A: I like Christmas because the whole family comes together. Most of my family is local and my dad will fly in from California and we will all do Christmas together.
Q: Have you ever traveled anywhere outside of the US?
A: I used to live in Spain when I was seven; we were there because of my dads’ orders. I lived there for two years and that was when I started really liking swimming and gained interest in the sport.
Q: What are your top three favorite movies?
A: Frozen, Bridesmaids and American Sniper.
Q: What has been your most memorable experience while swimming here at ODU?
A: I would have to say meeting the people on the ODU swim team. My best friend is from Turkey, so I got to meet her. Hopefully one day I will get to see Turkey with her and see the world from a different view. Also Carol Withus is amazing!
Q: As a senior what piece of advice have you passed on to the underclassmen?
A: I just remember coming in as a freshman I was terrified and a lot of the seniors intimidated us, so when I became a senior I didn’t want to be like that so basically me and two other seniors said if you have any questions just come ask us, we will help you out, don’t be afraid of us. Sometimes they get afraid and we are like ‘Why are you afraid?’ we are the same person, but we just help them out. The other thing we try to do is calm them before a swim meet because the first swim meet is terrifying so we tell them it is all fine.