Flying Towards Her Dreams: An Interview With Felicia Lee

At the age of 15, Felicia Lee has already accomplished what many young swimmers can only dream of. 

Lee holds numerous State, YMCA, Zone and National Age Group records.  She is a two-time National Champion in the women’s 100 butterfly.  In 2006, she qualified for the 2007 USA Swimming’s National Junior Team.

With Olympic Trials approaching this summer, Lee will hopefully reap additional rewards and fulfill her lifelong dream of being an Olympian.  She has qualified in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke and 200 Individual Medley.    

Recently, Lee shared some of her experiences and accomplishments with Planet Blacksburg, focusing on what attracted her to the sport of swimming and what she loves about it.

Q: At what age did you start swimming?
Lee: I started swimming when I was four-years-old at the local YMCA.

Q: Wow, that is young! How did you get into the sport?
Lee: My Mom wanted me to learn water safety. I actually hated it the first few times I was in the water because I would get so cold and turn purple. But my Mom was persistent and kept bringing me to the pool and eventually I started getting into it.

Q: When you were younger, were there any other sports that you were involved with?
Lee: I used to play a lot of sports. I ice skated for about six years, played soccer for seven years, basketball for four years, tennis for two years, track and cross country for two years, and softball for two years. (Laughs) I think that's all the sports I remembered I played.

Q: Swimming requires a lot of time, what does a typical day for you entail?
Lee: Usually on double days, I'll wake up at 6 a.m. and have practice from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., followed by school. Then I'll have another swim practice at 3:45 p.m. until about 6:45 p.m..  After that, I do some “dryland” exercises (abdominal work, cardio, medicine balls, etc).  On single days, I'll wake up around 7 a.m. and do some schoolwork. Then practice from 3:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. with “dryland” afterwards. But on Thursdays (single day), my practice is from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. with “dryland” afterwards.

Q: With your days focused on academics and practices, are you able to participate in other activities?
Lee: Outside of swimming I’m interested in Pilates and I have recently started rock-climbing. I've also started getting into photography, and when I'm just relaxing, I like to draw. I want to start up another activity, except I haven't figured out what I want to do.

Q: What it is like managing school, academics, swimming, and a social life?
Lee: Well, it's definitely easier to manage everything this year since I've decided to homeschool the year to get ready for trials. But last year when I attended Towson High School, it was definitely a challenge. I just had to make sure I was disciplined with time management, and keeping myself on top of school work as well as focusing on swimming. I thought it worked out pretty well, except I was also very stressed about my course load at Towson. I took all “gifted and talented” classes and everytime I took a swim trip, I'd come back to two weeks worth of makeup work! The weekends were usually my time for a social life! 

Q: When did you qualify for your first U.S. Nationals?
Lee: I qualified for my first U.S. Nationals at my first long course meet with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. It was at the 2005 U.S. Open in Alabama.

Q:  Swimming has brought you to places that most people your age can only dream of.  Do you have any favorite places that you’ve visited through swimming? 
Lee:  Well, I have two of them. I really loved going to Hawaii with the National Junior Team last year in January. It was awesome because in Maryland it was freezing cold, but in Hawaii it was heat and sunshine. I loved waking up to warm weather, beautiful beaches, and endless sunshine!  The second place I really loved going to was Japan. I went this past summer in August after qualifying for the International Grand Prix Japan. It was awesome to travel to another country and to experience a different culture. Also the Japanese were really excited to have a big swim meet in their country, and it was cool to have so much attention focused on swimming. It was far different than swimming in the U.S.

Q: Is there one race that you will never forget?
Lee: The one race I won't ever forget was winning my first spring national title in 2006. It was my first "national" meet and I was really excited. It was the 100 butterfly, and I was an underdog. There was no pressure and I just went out and swam my best. The end result was just a big adrenaline rush!  Another race I'll never forget is one that I watched. It actually was a recent meet...the Missouri Grand Prix. It was the prelim session and I was watching Natalie Coughlin swimming the 100 backstroke. It was really quiet, and no one was really "paying attention.”  But in the end, she ended up setting a world record! No one was expecting that since it was so quiet during the whole race. It was an exciting race to watch even if there wasn't loud cheering.

Q: That must have been so exciting to witness something like that! When did you realize that you could become a top competitor, like Natalie Coughlin?
Lee: I think I've just started to realize that I could eventually become a top competitor in the sport of swimming.  But I know I still have a lot of work to get to that level. Right now I'm an underdog, and I don't mind it. I respect and am honored to be in a sport with so much competition. I just need to work harder to reach the level that I want to achieve.

Q: What is your favorite event and why?
Lee: My favorite event would have to be the 100 butterfly. It's just a race I love to swim. It's not too long, not too short and an event that I think I excel at. But I have to say I like swimming the 200 Individual Medley as well since you get to change up your strokes!

Q: What is your least favorite event and why?
Lee: Probably any long distance freestyle...as in the mile or 800. It's just too long and I get kind of bored during the race. Also I'm not much of a distance freestyler!

Q: Since swimming mentality has a lot to do with performance, are there any pre-race strategies that you like to do before your races?
Lee: I don't really have any pre-race routines that I do. It's usually different every time. Sometimes I like to listen to my iPod (hip-hop or rap usually gets me pretty pumped), and other times I just like to laugh and talk with friends. Right before the race I just stretch out, make sure my goggles are tight, and just get ready to race.

Q: What is it like swimming, racing, and being friends with some of the world’s fastest swimmers?
Lee: It's definitely a humbling experience. They are all great competitors who have all experienced so much. I respect them and love racing against them. Outside of racing, they are all nice and fun to talk to. They are just like any other people outside of swimming!

Q: If you could do any other sport, what would it be and why?
Lee: Tough choice. I'd probably have to pick basketball. At NBAC, during the summer, some of us play basketball for cardio. I enjoy it and it's a great workout. Plus I like having the team atmosphere, where we rely on our teammates during the game.

Q: In closing, what do you love about swimming?
Lee: I love meeting new friends through swimming, traveling to different places, and of course just racing. I'm pretty competitive and I just love to get out and race.