Faces off the Field: Hannah O'Leary, senior swimmer, Round Rock
All about Hannah
Do you know what your plans are for next year?
I'm going to Texas A&M for swimming. I want to be a physical therapist, so I want to be in kinesiology. The school's amazing and I love the culture and the campus is beautiful.
Tell something about yourself that most people don't know.
I've been riding dirt bikes since I was about 4 years old. It's in our family. My great-grandpa owned a dirt bike shop, my grandpa was a stuntman and my dad and uncle were on Team USA three times in Portugal, Italy and France.
Before a meet, do you have any rituals?
I'll eat salmon before I go to bed. On the day of the meet I'll listen to the song "Wobble" (by V.I.C.). It gets me excited, it's a fun song to dance to. I'm a very social person behind the blocks. I don't like to sit still and stand by myself. I like to be talking to people.
More: Central Texas athletes fare well at UIL state swimming and diving championships
If you bought a car that matches your personality, what would it be?
A Bronco. They go off-roading and they're nice cars.
What do you think is the world's greatest invention?
Airplanes are fun. They just float in the sky. They can hold people and they get there safely. And everyone just trusts that it's going to work.
What's the favorite place you've ever been?
We went to Seaside, Fla., for a family vacation. It was so fun. My whole family went. I don't know if it was more fun because of the beach or because I got to spend so much time with my family.
That swimmer's life
What is the hardest part about being a competitive swimmer?
I would say the practices. I'm a teenage girl and I want to go out and have fun with my friends, but swimming and school come first. The hardest part is missing those fun things.
More: Get to konw Cedar Park swimmer Michaela Koltz in our Faces off the field interview
Have you learned any lessons through swimming that you apply to daily life?
It's taught me how to work for things I like in life and that things aren't going to just come easy. Things aren't going to be just handed to you. They're not just going to hand you a gold medal. It's gonna take work and time.
Finishing off with state gold
What was the best part of winning a gold medal at state?
I guess standing on the podium. And hearing your name is so cool. It was nice to see how many people supported me through the whole thing. It was like any other race except I got a medal after.
Was winning a gold medal a long-time dream or something new?
It's been a dream since last year when I got third. I thought it would be so cool to get first or get a gold medal. But I don't like to set goals for myself. I just like to see what happens. I'm not going to stop working hard now that I got a gold medal.
Dream dinner
If you could have dinner with four people in the history of the world, who would they be?
I will choose (professional swimmer) Caeleb Dressel, Jimmy Fallon, Taylor Swift and George Strait.
Why Caeleb Dressel?
First off, he's a very attractive man and one of my big celebrity crushes. He's won multiple gold medals.
— Rick Cantu
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Faces off the field: Hannah O'Leary, senior swimmer, Round Rock
