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25 April 2008
Olympic Star Janet Evans Discusses Her Road to Success
Ask America webchat transcript, April 24
U.S. Olympic swimming start Janet Evans participated in an April 24 Ask America webchat on her struggles to become a four-time Olympic gold medalist, her international competitive experiences and the lessons she learned along the way.
Following is the transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Ask America Webchat Transcript
Olympic Swimming Star Janet Evans
Guest: Janet Evans
Date: April 24, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT)
Moderator: Welcome to today's webchat! The live webchat will begin at 10:00 a.m. EDT/14:00 GMT.
Hello everyone! We will be getting started in just a few minutes.
Janet Evans: Hi, this is Janet! I'm really excited to be chatting with you today and answer any questions you may have about the Olympics. As the Olympic Games approach, we have a lot to look forward to. I know that athletes from all over the world are preparing for amazing performances, and Olympic fans like us are getting ready to cheer them on in the name of the Olympic movement!
Question [صاحب الحكمة]: Do you plan to attend the Beijing games?
Answer [Janet Evans]: I am not sure quite yet, but I hope to be in Beijing, especially because I think that the swimming competition is going to see some of the fastest times in the history of our sport. I love going to the Games as a spectator, but it sure does make me miss competing at the elite level!
Comment [Warmo640189402]: Dude you are an awesome swimmer! (Dave age 9)
Q [Regina]: HI! I'd like to know how you came to be a swimmer. What influenced you?
A [Janet Evans]: I became a swimmer because my parents don't know how to swim. When they moved to California we had a pool in our backyard so they decided that my two older brothers and I needed to be pool-safe. I was put into swim lessons when I was about 14 months old and could swim all 4 strokes by the time I was three. My mom still doesn't know how to swim, so we spend a lot of time teasing her that she can't swim and her daughter is an Olympic champion!
My greatest influence was my parents. They supported me in my dreams but never made me feel that swimming was something I had to do. They took my swimming seriously, but not too seriously, which gave me a great perspective. If I fell short of my goals, they encouraged me to keep trying but not to be too disappointed. After all, swimming is just a sport!
Q [Kuba]: If you had advice for girls in sport what will it be?
A [Janet Evans]: I think that competing in sports as a girl is incredibly beneficial. As a young girl, I learned that I could compete with the boys and do anything I set my mind to. Athletics gave me determination and confidence, and taught me how to set goals.
Even if I hadn't competed at the Olympic level, I believe that competing in sports taught me skills that I need to be successful in every day life. I encourage every young woman to participate in sports!
Q [KCIrish]: So, what do you think about the new swimsuit technology? Are the new materials good for the sport?
A [Janet Evans]: I think the new suits are an interesting development in our sport. The athletes that compete in them talk about how fast they feel and how the suits make them feel buoyant. While some complain that this might not be the best thing for our sport ... they think that suits should just be plain old suits ... I feel that it is simply a technological advancement. By the next Olympics in London, there will be another suit that is better and faster!
A lot of people don't know this, but when Mark Spitz competed, they had not yet invented a low profile goggle. So Mark could only train for 2 or 3 hours a day without goggles. When goggles were "invented," swimmers could train longer hours, and all of Mark's records were broken. So, once again, it was simply a technological advancement in our sport. It's not always fun for the athletes whose records are broken because of these advancements, but it's just the nature of sport....
Q [Kuba]: How did you become a swimmer? Do you do other sports too?
A [Janet Evans]: I learned how to swim because my parents don't know how to swim. But I really "became" a swimmer because I loved being in the water. In fact, I felt more comfortable in the water than on land!
To me, the water is therapeutic and relaxing. Because I was much more comfortable in the water, I wasn't always very good at other sports. I was always tripping and falling when I ran for cross training and to try to do another sport like gymnastics or ice skating was nearly impossible because I was so uncoordinated! So it seems that the sport of swimming chose me!
Q [Chat Participant]: What have you done in time after Olympics? Do you still swim in competitions?
A [Janet Evans]: Since the completion of my swimming career, I have been very blessed in that I am still able to be involved in the Olympic movement. For years, I have worked for Olympic sponsors and traveled the world giving motivational speeches about what the Olympics means to me. I am also the chairman of FINA's (The governing body of worldwide swimming) Athlete's Committee.
I don't swim in competitions anymore, but I am still able to be a part of the swimming community. I like to say that I have the best of everything ... I still get to be around the sport, but I don't have to swim 12 miles a day to get ready for the next swim meet!
Moderator: America.gov's 2008 Olympics webpage has more information on this topic. Please visit: http://amlife.america.gov/amlife/sports/olympics.html.
Q [Chat Participant]: As an Olympic medalist are you asked to give motivational talks? Where and on what subjects?
A [Janet Evans]: Yes, I actually spend a lot of time giving motivational talks. My favorite group to give talks to is young people. I also do a lot of speeches for corporations, particularly companies that sponsor the Olympic movement. The reason that I love giving motivational speeches is because I love to share with others what the Olympics mean to me.
A lot of us feel that the Olympics are for winning gold medals and for standing on that victory platform listening to your national anthem. While that is an amazing experience, the real point of the Olympics is for athletes from all over the world to come together in the name of sports and to compete fairly and to the best of their ability. I believe that there is often too much importance placed on winning at the Olympics. As an athlete, the most important thing to do at the Games is to compete at your very best.
Q [zoom518]: What advice do you have for any aspiring swimmers?
A [Janet Evans]: Swimming can be a very tough sport. You are out there in a cold pool, swimming all by yourself, while staring at the black line on the bottom. On the flip side, it is an incredible sport for your body and can be very relaxing. For an aspiring young swimmer, I think it is important to have fun!
I view workouts as a chance to get better and, competitions, as a chance to be your very best, both mentally and physically. Swimming has so many great benefits. Enjoy the entire process ... from those early morning workouts to the competitions. If you stick with it, you will learn lessons that last a lifetime AND you will have a lot of fun along the way!
Q [Chat Participant]: Has the sport of swimming changed since you started?
A [Janet Evans]: Yes, in so many ways! Hmmmm, where do I begin? First of all, there are the swimsuits. As I previously mentioned, there are technological advancements occurring all the time. From the introduction of lane lines to swim goggles to the new LZR racer, there have always been opportunities to improve your speed in the water.
I also see a lot of differences in the popularity of my sport. With the internet, swimming fans can have access to our sport 24/7, which is great for us! Our fan base has grown because swimmers are able to share our amazing sport with growing audiences from around the world on a daily basis.
Moderator: You can also visit America.gov's sports webpage for more information on Olympic sports. Please visit: http://amlife.america.gov/amlife/sports/.
Q [Chat Participant]: What have you learned from other cultures at the Olympics?
Janet Evans: I think that the best part of competing at the Olympics is making friends from all over the world. It is amazing to go to the Games and learn about another athlete's country and culture. After all, you live with 10,000 athletes in the Olympic village, so you are bound to have lunch or dinner in the cafeteria next to someone from another country!
Another amazing experience that comes with competing at the international level is being able to travel the world. The first time I left the United States, I was 14 and traveled to Moscow for a competition. It was quite an experience for me, but it opened my eyes to other cultures and traditions.
Thank you so much for being a part of my webchat this morning. It is an honor to be an Olympian, and I hope that in some way, I was able to convey the excitement of the Olympic games to you! The upcoming Games in Beijing are going to be full of amazing performances, so I encourage all of you to cheer on every athlete from around the world! Thanks again!
Moderator: We wish to thank Ms. Janet Evans for joining us today. The webchat is now closed. A full transcript of today's webchat will be published (usually within one business day) to our Ask America homepage.
(Speakers are chosen for their expertise and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of State.)
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
