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USC’s Anicka Delgado shares her experiences as a Tokyo Olympic swimmer
Credit: Jack Spitser

USC’s Anicka Delgado shares her experiences as a Tokyo Olympic swimmer

LADERA RANCH, Calif. — Q&A with USC swimmer Anicka Delgado who competed at the Tokyo Olympics.

How did you begin swimming?
Anicka Delgado: My dad’s a swimmer, so he put me in lessons when I was young. Before that, I hated water so much my parents couldn’t even bathe me. I almost drowned once at the pool during my lesson on the swim team, and I’d make excuses to get out of practice.

Can you tell us a bit about Olympic life in Tokyo?
Delgado: It was surreal. We didn’t get to leave the village very much because of COVID, and the rules were just as strict as they seemed on paper. We weren’t allowed to watch other sports but getting to see other athletes in their routine and how they were training was great. It’s incredible to hang out with world-class athletes. They have exceptional talent, but at the same time, you realize they’re also just people living their day-to-day lives.

Credit: Jack Spitser

Talk us through the day of the race. Any pre-meet rituals? Ways to deal with nerves?
Delgado: I was feeling wonderful the day before my first race. When the day came around, I woke up, and I was so anxious, I thought I would throw up. I’ve always been pretty good about performing under pressure, which is an advantage to have at such a high level. Sometimes nerves are good before racing because it gives you that little extra boost of adrenaline. But overall, I believe it’s essential to keep that at a low, and I think a great way to do that is breathing exercises.

Mental health was a big topic at the Olympics. Was there a time in your life that you considered quitting swimming?
Delgado: Oh, 100%. Training for the Olympics was rewarding, but it was the most challenging year of my life. Mentally I began to struggle after the 12th month, and it would just progressively get worse. Two months before the Olympics, I wanted to quit—and I was not the only Olympian who felt like that. My trials were in seven weeks during my senior year of high school, and I wasn’t improving much with my training. My dad says, “Look, it’s just seven weeks. Let’s just train you and me.” And I was pretty iffy about having my dad as a coach because it takes out the social element that makes practicing more fun. My trials kept getting pushed back, and seven weeks turned into 18 months,

The last two months leading up to games were a grind. You’re so close, but you don’t even feel like you’re going to the Olympics at that point. All the work that goes into it, all the nerves building up, is challenging. But having my dad as a support system was everything. He swam at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000, so having someone who had gone through it helped a lot. Once I heard that I had qualified, it made it a lot easier, too.

Any advice you’ve gleaned over the years?
Delgado: My dad always told me, “The results will come when they’re supposed to.” Just put in the work, put in the time. Of course, not every day is going to be your best day, but it’s a matter of patience. I’ve gone through so many times where I didn’t see the results, or I was swimming so slow, and I was like, where is the work I’m putting in? But trust the process. And just keep swimming.

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