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Arizona State senior swimmer Cody Bybee continues to set high goals for himself
Courtesy: Teresa Havens

Arizona State senior swimmer Cody Bybee continues to set high goals for himself

BELLBROOK, Ohio — Cody Bybee (Bellbrook High School alumnus) started swimming at 8 years old. He was comfortable in the water and the instructor commented that he was a “natural” and a quick learner. It wasn’t long after this that he joined the swim team. Throughout his childhood, he also played baseball and basketball, but at the age of 15 decided to focus on swimming.

Today, Cody is a Senior at Arizona State University. Things haven’t gone as Cody planned for his college swimming career. His freshman year he got mono and missed the championships. The following year NCAAs were canceled due to Covid, although he did get to have a good showing at Pac-12’s that year. His junior year was a redshirt.

“So here I am, a senior who was hoping to have national titles under my belt by now – who hasn’t yet been to NCAA’s. It’s been a little rocky, but I’ve learned a lot and if everything goes as planned, it should be a great year this year”, says Cody.

Courtesy: Teresa Havens

Redshirting his junior year, allowed him to focus on the U.S. Olympic team trials where Cody was able to make a semi-final and finished 14th overall in the 100 Fly. “Overall, it was a good year for growth. Mentally and physically, I’m looking forward to the coming season and the following year should I decide to take it.”

Swimming has taught Cody that nothing happens overnight. “It happens brick by brick. If you build a foundation and show up every single day to get better. Those small consistent efforts over many years are where the greatness comes from. It takes patience and persistence to get where you want to go.”

Cody remarks, “Objectively speaking I’m not built for this sport. I’m only 5’10 and have small hands and feet. At the level that I compete, most people are 6’2 – 6’4 on average”. He stays competitive by maintaining a fairly strict diet, training 20 plus hours per week, and doing the proper recovery and mobility his body needs.

He prepares mentally by knowing that he has done the work to be in the race. This allows him to go into the race extremely confident. “I go into the race with the intention to win, no matter who is next to me. Sometimes I visualize but I always have a plan as to how I’ll attack each race.” He doesn’t let up until the race is finished. On one occasion he finished so hard that he sprained/dislocated his thumb and had to wear a splint for a few weeks.

When asked if anyone has helped him in his sport, Cody replies” It’s a combination of a lot of people. It is the whole support network. First and foremost is my family. Then my teammates, coaches, physical trainers, strength coaches, nutritionists, chiropractors, tutors, academic coaches, etc. They all contribute in some way to helping me be the best athlete I can be.”

He is most proud of the person that he has become in every area. “It allows me to set an example, and to be a role model to my family and friends and the underclassmen on the team.”

Cody enjoys competing and putting all his efforts into the workouts every day and is proud of his team. “It’s truly special to have a team of people that I can go out with every day and push our bodies to their limit. It’s a team of similar minds focused on improving and getting better and you don’t see a collective unit as we have very often.”

The coaches provide a certain energy to the meets as well. “Seeing the coaches go nuts on the sideline gets the whole team so hype and makes us want to do the same.” For example, in his sophomore year at a dual meet against the University of Arizona, ASU was winning by so much they had to mercy rule them. During that meet, the coaches brought so much energy to the team, huddle. “It’s cool to see coaches in their 50’s have that kind of energy. It was hype.”

Cody enjoys golfing in his free time and is currently pursuing his real estate license.

Cody has his goals for swimming set high. He would like to lead his team to a PAC-12 title and to a top 3 NCAA finish. He would also like to hold both individual and team national titles. He hopes to compete once more for “the great United States” internationally again in the near future. He is exploring the possibilities of a professional career after college.

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.