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LIVING & TRAVEL
Wan Azlan Abdullah
Sheila Taormina Read more Team Malaysia Olympic coverage on Tripod! |
Earlier this month, Steve Taormina interviewed Malaysian Olympic swimmer Wan Azlan Abdullah. Steve's sister, American Olympic Swimmer Sheila Taormina, was in training at the same place (University of Georgia), so he sat down with the two of them to compare their experiences. Though they grew up on opposite sides of the world, Sheila and Wan are both graduates of the University of Georgia, and they share, of course, a love of swimming. They talk here about training, sleeping, the South, and what it means to compete for their respective countries.
Results: Wan did not qualify, but Sheila won a gold medal July 25, for the women's 4x200 freestyle relay, with teammates Trina Jackson, Christina Teuscher and Jenny Thompson.
Tripod: To start, Wan, how did you get involved in swimming? Wan: We have to go back here. My two older brothers and I used to hang out a lot and do everything together. My oldest brother had asthma, and his doctor told him swimming, and so whenever he went swimming, you know, the two younger brothers went along. And we just swam every day. Tripod: So you were really young? Wan: Yeah, I was about six, around there. I started swimming for a team when I was seven. Tripod: When did you come to the U.S. to swim? Wan: I came here in October 1992, to Pinecrest (a private high school in Florida). I swam at Pinecrest for like a year and a half, and then I went to Georgia (University of Georgia, Athens). Tripod: OK now, Sheila, I'd like the two of you to compare your training schedules. You both swam for the University of Georgia, but today it sounds like you're not training as hard as Wan is. Explain where you are in your training. Sheila: Well, I tapered (eased off training) for six weeks for the Olympic trials. But this time, coming around to the Olympics, Greg (my coach) and I thought six weeks was a little too long. So we decided to start five weeks out and keep the yardage up but remove the intensity level somewhat. Now, I'm only two-and-a-half weeks out of my swim. So for the past week I've cut my yardage. I'm probably about three-quarters, maybe 60% to 70% of my high-volume training. I'm going to maintain that for another week. When I get into Atlanta, once the swimming starts, I'm going to drop the bottom out of my training and really rest. Tripod: What about you, Wan? Wan: I guess since Sheila and I aren't swimming the same kind of events -- my main event is the 400 individual medley and Sheila's the 200 free -- my yardage is still a bit up but not bad -- about 4500 yards in the morning and 3000 at night. I'll probably be around that range, probably drop down next week to 3000 in the morning and 2000 at night, and just hold that until the Olympics. Tripod: So you're pretty close to your taper too. Are either of you doing anything else besides swimming full time right now? Wan: Sleeping. Sheila: And eating. Tripod: Perfect. So Wan, tell me, what do you think about training in the United States versus Malaysia? Did you come here to take swimming seriously because there are no great programs in Malaysia, or was it something else? Wan: Yeah, that's pretty much what the deal was. Because in Malaysia, what happens is, once you finish high school, everybody -- once they go to college -- there's totally no time for anything else but studying. It's not as flexible as it is in the United States. Tripod: And, so, you weren't into studying? You wanted to swim? Wan: Well, my parents and I talked about it. I wasn't ready to quit swimming after high school. And in Malaysia, we don't have many really fast swimmers, so once you get older, the competition level starts to drop. There's maybe one or two fast people once you're 17 or 18.
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Sheila Taormina |
Tripod: Alright, so how did you both end up at Georgia? Sheila?
Sheila: Well, I went on a recruiting trip and just loved it. That was it. Flat out. I loved the coaches. I knew they were going to be here for a while because they'd already been here a while. I knew that the coaching staffs at a lot of other college programs didn't seem stable, so I worried about getting into a program and not having that coach my full four years. And the team was just awesome when I met them. I loved the campus. And the business school was good enough for what I thought my needs were. Tripod: How about you, Wan? Wan: I think Sheila basically speaks for me, too. I had the same impression when I came on my recruiting trip. I knew right away that I was going to come here. It was just awesome. Tripod: So you guys both like the South? Sheila: Yeah... Wan: South? That wasn't really a factor. It was just, everything overall was just kind of perfect, I guess. Sheila: Well, some recruit trips -- I don't know if you took recruiting trips, Wan -- I took five, and some places you just clicked and other places you just went.... Wan: Ooohhhh! Sheila: Yeah! I just wouldn't fit in. Here (Georgia), I felt like I belonged here. Wan: Yeah. Sheila: You feel comfortable with the people you've met. Tripod: So are you excited then that the Olympics are so close to where you went to school? Sheila: Definitely. Wan: Yes! Tripod: They could have been in Sydney this year instead of in 2000. Would you rather have them in Atlanta than in some place in another country? Sheila: For me, I can answer that easily. I would much rather it be here in the U.S.A. The only other place would be Detroit, though any place in the United States is awesome for me. Tripod: Why is that? Sheila: Because, you walk into opening ceremonies and the place is going to erupt! You have the "home town" crowd, and that makes a huge difference. When you travel to other countries for swim meets, you really don't get to see a lot of that country. You're just there for swimming. So, it's not like you're experiencing the culture fully anyway. It's not nearly as enjoyable as if you just took a vacation there. To have your own Olympics -- to have the Olympics in your own country -- is, to me, the best thing in the world. And to have it in the same state where you went to school makes it even better. Tripod: How about you, Wan? It's a different take for you, since you are swimming out of the country. Wan: I wouldn't mind it being in Malaysia, but I don't think we are capable of holding the Olympics there just right yet. I kind of like it being here just because I don't have to fly anywhere and deal with all the jet lag and adapting to other places. It's just, BOOM! An hour drive and I'm there. So, that's pretty cool. Tripod: So, now, what are both of your hopes...dreams...goals for this competition? Wan: I just want to swim the best I can. I'm in the best shape now that I've ever been. I'm not going to win the gold medal, I know that now, so I just want to do the best I can. So hopefully people will notice that people from Malaysia actually can swim. Tripod: How about you, Sheila? Sheila: My goals? My goal is to see how many cute guys I can meet. No, just kidding. Seriously, my number-one goal is to be a good sportswoman for the U.S.A. Go up there and try my best, and whether we get first place or whether we don't make it into finals, just to show that we respect the people who beat us or didn't beat us. And my goal is to present myself as a good sports person all around with my attitude. You know, the whole Olympics is about getting to know the whole rest of the world and coming together on friendly terms. To me, that's the most important thing. My performance is secondary to how I hold myself during the competition. Tripod: And Wan, how do you think Sheila's doing so far as a good U.S. sportswoman? Wan: Well, I haven't really swam with her. I've just seen her do warm up and a couple of dives. I think she's going to do well. I mean, this is the Olympics. It's the biggest thing in the world. Especially since it's going to be the 100th Olympics... Tripod: The centennial. Wan: Yeah, the centennial Olympics. Everybody's just going to feel the vibe. Everyone's going to do well. Tripod: Indeed. Alright, thanks you guys for taking the time to do this. And good luck! Wan & Sheila: Thanks.
Illustration by Federico Jordan, a freelance illustrator based in Mexico.
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