Kara Mihm

NAEye: What sport do you play? 

KM: I participate in swimming all year round, but starting in November until March, the high school season occurs. 

NAEye: What grade are you in?

KM: I am in 10th grade.

NAEye: When did you start playing? 

KM: I started swimming when I was in kindergarten, so this is my 11th year.

NAEye: Why do you continue playing this sport? 

KM: Although swimming is very taxing both mentally and physically, the friendships that I have created and the successes that I have achieved keep me going through the tough practices and meets.

NAEye: Do you play any other sports? If so, which ones?

KM: At the end of my freshman season, I was exhausted from 7 months of straight swimming training, so I decided to try out for the track team to get a small break. I ended up absolutely loving the team and the sport of running that I joined cross country this past season, my sophomore year. 

NAEye: What is your training/ conditioning like? 

KM: We start training once the first day of school arrives. We ease into the season by going 6 days a week with 1 morning practice per week and 2-hour practices every afternoon. The week before the season starts, there are tryouts in which all of us swim events in order to see if we make the team. Once the team is decided, the regular season starts. It consists of 6 days a week with 2-hour afternoon practices and 3 mornings along with lifting and yoga. During Winter break, “Hell Week” begins. Basically “Hell Week” is when training is at its hardest. We swim up to 5 hours per day with lifting included. Since we have a lot of days off during the holidays, our coach likes to get in as much swimming and hard training as possible. Once we go back to school, our training schedule goes back to normal and the weekly meets resume.

                                                                                                               NAEye: Do you feel successful in your sport?

KM: I personally feel that whenever I work hard, I feel successful. Since swimming is a tough sport and I am constantly giving my best effort, yes, I do feel that I am successful. 

NAEye: What is your offseason like? How do you keep in shape during it? 

KM: Swimming is a year-round sport so we only have 2 weeks off during March and 2 weeks off during August. During that time, I am either running for track or cross country. 

NAEye: What is the hardest part of your season and what challenges you most in your sport? 

KM: The hardest part of our season is staying focused on training hard each day, even when you’re tired. With 5 A.M. practices and late-night swim meets, it can be tough to get homework done and get enough sleep, but it is important to stay focused on getting everything done in order to get enough rest for training.

NAEye: How do you prepare for your games/meets? 

KM: As a team, we hype each other up and like to spread confidence on deck in order for everyone to feel excited instead of nervous when swimming.

NAEye: Do you feel pressured to succeed in your sport? 

KM: Having an older brother who is constantly breaking records and going to top-tier meets can be hard because you sometimes feel that you are being compared, but I try not to let that get to me and instead just focus on being the best swimmer that I personally can be.

NAEye: What about your sport brings you the most joy?

KM: What brings me the most joy about swimming is when I touch the wall at meets and look up to see that I have gone a best time and have gotten a good place. The best feeling is when you know that all your hard work pays off.

NAEye: What is your favorite pregame meal?

KM: My favorite pre-meet meal is chocolate milk and pasta. I love pasta.