Day 285: Kristy Kowal

July 12, 2010 at 12:01 am, Category: Inspiration

“In 1996, I missed the Olympic team, and I ended up being on the cover of the Swimming World magazine crying on the side of a pool, and the girl who beat me was on the split cover with me, and they called it “The Agony and the Ecstasy” and you know, that was … I was 17 years old – that was crushing to me.  But at the same time, I took the magazine and I hung it up in my locker to look at and realize I never wanted that to happen again.”

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Toni Reece: Thank you so much, Kristy, for agreeing to be part of this Project, and before we begin, can you please introduce yourself?

Kristy Kowal: Yes.  My name is Kristy Kowal, and I was a 2000 Olympics Silver Medalist in swimming.

Toni: Fantastic.  Thanks for being here today, Kristy.  When you think of that word inspiration, who do you inspire, and how does that happen?

Kristy: Well, as a teacher, I think I have a chance to inspire my students every single day.  My biggest thing about teaching is my kids obviously know who I am; their parents tell them when they come into the classroom for the first day.  And as they’re eight years old, they always like to tell me that they saw me swim, but I swam in 2000, so that’s not possible at all.

I think the coolest thing about my job is I do get to share my experiences with them and let them know that I was probably about their age when I decided that I wanted to be an Olympian.  And I think it’s really cool for them to see that their dreams can start that early, and I think it’s … you know, at the end of the year, they always come up to me and they’re like “I want to be a teacher” or “I want to go to the Olympics” and I’m like “You absolutely can.  You can do whatever you want to.”  That is the best part about my job.

Toni: That’s fantastic to instill that message.  How old are the kids that you’re teaching right now?

Kristy: Usually they’re eight years old going onto nine years old during the school year.

Toni: That is fantastic.  Now, when you’re working with this age group or even, I would imagine, people who know your story, Kristy, that you made it that far, I’m sure that took a lot of courage, a lot of tenacity, and I would imagine some resilience along the way.  How do you think that by sharing that message not only with the children but with others helps other people to explore their own potential?

Kristy: I think my story is pretty unique in the fact that, you know, you always see the Olympics and you see the people that are winning the gold, the silver, the bronze, but hearing those stories is a whole other thing.  And it actually took me a lot of … several tries to make the Olympic team finally.  I missed the Olympic team in 1996 by 17/100 of a second.  In 2000, I missed the 100 breaststroke by 1/100 of a second, which is the smallest fraction of time that you can miss the Olympic team by.

Toni: Oh, Kristy, I’m so sorry to do this because I know people are going to want to hear you, but I don’t know if you stepped away from the mouthpiece on the phone, but it just got a little muffled, so can you repeat what you had just said?

Kristy: Yeah, sure.

Toni: Much better, thank you.

Kristy: Absolutely.  No problem.  Cell phones!

Toni: I know.

Kristy: I like … I think that, you know, the story, my story is a little bit interesting.  You see the people in the Olympics, and you see their story and you see them winning the gold and the sliver and the bronze, and it’s fantastic, but I think going behind the scenes and hearing their stories and what it took to get there is the really interesting part.  It took me a lot of times to make the Olympic team.  Actually, in 1996 I tried out for the team, and I missed the Olympic team by 17/100 of a second.  And then I went on in 2000 and I tried out in two events, and the first event I competed in I actually missed the Olympic team by 1/100 of a second, which is the smallest fraction of time you can miss the Olympic team by.

Toni: Oh my gosh.

Kristy: Yeah; and then it was actually two days later when I qualified for the Olympic team, so having to bounce back.  And then in 2004, I missed the Olympic team again by a couple hundredths of a second.  So I think that being able to convey that life is not easy, it has its ups and downs and it’s how you fight back and you really go after what you want – that’s the story.  You know, the silver medal at the end, that was the icing on the cake, but without the road to get there, I don’t think it would have been, you know, as sweet a victory.

Toni: What message do you think … what was the takeaway that others can learn?  Because again, Kristy, there are people that are reading this and listening to this all over the world, and they’re hearing your story for the first time, so how will that help me explore my own potential?  What did you go through that I can take away from?  I mean, I can hear it, but what would you think the most important things would be to help others explore their potential?

Kristy: You know, that you should never give up on anything, and if you have a dream and it’s something that you really, really want to achieve, you know, whether it’s being … running a marathon or, you know, getting a degree in college or getting a Master’s degree, whether it’s something like that, you’re always going to have setbacks, and there’s always going to be ups and downs and bumps in the road.  But if it’s something that you really, really want to achieve, then it’s something that you need to fight for and you really need to go after.

You know, you take the disappointments, and if you can figure out a way to turn them into something to your advantage … like every disappointment, I turned around and I used it for inspiration.  In 1996, I missed the Olympic team, and I ended up being on the cover of the Swimming World magazine crying on the side of a pool, and the girl who beat me was on the split cover with me, and they called it “The Agony and the Ecstasy” and you know, that was … I was 17 years old – that was crushing to me.  But at the same time, I took the magazine and I hung it up in my locker to look at and realize I never wanted that to happen again.

So if you can find a way to turn, you know, your disappointments into a way to really motivate you into the future and really help you push on, I think that’s like the most important thing that you can take.

Toni: Fantastic, fantastic.  Thank you.  Kristy, what inspires you?

Kristy: There are so many things that inspire me.  Honestly, I think children inspire me the most.  I’m one of those people that I tear up at anything.  I’ll watch the Ironman and be watching the stories of people and just start crying.  But, you know, going into my classroom every day and seeing eight-year-olds and nine-year-olds who are learning things that they have never, ever, ever heard of before and just seeing them really, really working hard, that just makes me … that just really, really inspires me.

Like these little kids who just look up to you and they trust you … that just inspires me.  These little kids have no fear of anything.  They have no fear of failing, they have no fear of … you know, just being afraid to go out there and give it their all.  And to see these kids like that … I think that when you get older, you get a little bit more cautious with your life and you get a little bit more hesitant in doing things.  And I think going into a classroom and spending my day with kids and seeing these kids who are just not afraid of anything, that really inspires me.  They just go for it and have no fear of anything.

Toni: There’s a great lesson there too, isn’t there?  Where did it go?  Where does that go, the older wisdom?

Kristy: I think it goes along with the energy, because I have no idea how they have so much energy, either.

Toni: What else inspires you, Kristy?  When you – and I don’t know that you do – but if you ever have a day where you’re going, you know, “I could use a little inspiration here,” what do you tend to reach for?  Are there tools and resources that you go to on a consistent basis?

Kristy: Oh, absolutely.  You know, I have a really, really, really great network of friends, so whenever I’m needing any sort of like pick-me-up or inspiration, I always go to them.  Because you know what?  I think seeing  people … when I see people who have a harder time than I do … I work in a building where we have multiple disabilities, where we have a life skills class, and I see kids in wheelchairs.

I had a student in my class my second year of teaching – two kids – they were nonverbal, one was blind, and they’re both in wheelchairs.  This year, we saw them run in our track and field day.  In my first year, they could not even wheel their own wheelchair when they were in my classroom.  Three years later, they’re running in their track and field day.  Things like that – that’s what inspires me.

Just seeing things that you would think are impossible and then they happen – that’s amazing to me.  And like I said, I am such a crier, you know, things like that set me off and make me tear up and cry.  But just … and all I have to do is look down the hallway from my classroom for things like that.  But like I said, I saw an Ironman, when I was watching the Ironman, I saw the father who was carrying his son.  You know, things like that.

You know, you go through things in your life and you think that, you know, everything that happens to you, it really … it’s so there and so present that sometimes you can’t get past it, but if you can get past it, you look and you see that, you know, people out there, sometimes people have it a lot worse than you do and, you know, seeing them overcome their difficulties and things like that, that’s what inspires me.

Toni: What are you doing now to explore your own potential?

Kristy: Right now?  I actually just accomplished one of my long-term goals.  I just finished my Master’s degree and wrote my thesis.

Toni: Oh, congratulations!

Kristy: Thank you!  Eighty pages.

Toni: Oh my gosh.

Kristy: Which I am extremely proud of.  I put it on my bookshelf this week.  I am very proud that … you know, as a teacher now, I continue my education and I try to take as many classes as possible to make myself a better teacher for my students.  And with every class I take, I learn something that I can do better to make myself a better teacher for them.

Toni: Absolutely.  Really, this whole interview, I have just been smiling ear to ear because you are contagious.  You are absolutely contagious, and I think those that are listening to this interview, and those of you who are reading, you need to listen because when you talk, I don’t know if you’re smiling, but that passion and purpose and story, Kristy, is amazing.  Thank you for giving up your time to be part of this Get Inspired! Project.

Kristy: Oh, thank you very much.

Toni: It was awesome.  It’s been a pleasure to have you.

Kristy: Thank you.  Have a great day.

Toni: Thank you.  Take care, Kristy.

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For more information about Kristy Kowal:  www.ghcommunityfund.com, www.getupandmove.org
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