by Jens Deju
Brooke Radostits is a senior on the SIU women's swimming and diving team. Radostits has won both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke each of the past three years at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. She recently took some time off to speak to Jens Deju of the Daily Egyptian.
Daily Egyptian: How would you describe yourself as a swimmer?
Brooke Radostits: I'd say I was decent. I started out as just an average swimmer, but the harder you work, the faster you get. It's all about focus.
DE: Who's been your biggest inspiration?
BR: My mother has been my biggest inspiration. I never had a team in high school and my mom, she pushed me. Sometimes I'd hate her for it, but looking back, I know she meant well and she's always been my biggest fan. She's had a really good influence on me and I owe her a lot. I owe her everything - my whole swimming career.
DE: Do you have any odd hobbies?
BR: I wouldn't call it a hobby, but I have got to have pasta all of the time. If I don't have pasta everyday, then I'm not OK for the rest of the week. I need to have some form of spaghetti.
DE: Do you have any superstitions?
BR: I don't have any superstitions, but I always have to do this weird thing with my wrists every time before I race. I have to stretch my wrists and I know there's no muscles in your wrist, but I have to do it every single time or I'm just not mentally ready to go.
DE: You guys are going for your fifth straight MVC title next week. What's it like to be on such a dominant team?
BR: Spectacular for me because I came from a high school that had no swim team. It was me and my friend and everything was independent. I had no team, I had no experience winning anything, so I had just missed out on the entire team experience and now to be a part of something that's so great, that's so traditionally great, it's just amazing for me. I'm sucking it up, sucking up every second of it.
DE: What's going through your mind during the homestretch of a race?
BR: Kick, kick, kick. I see [SIU head coach Jeff] Goelz motioning to me to kick, I see people at the end of my lane telling me to kick, and by that point I can't feel my legs anymore. The pain is just numbing and all I can think about is just keep kicking, you're almost there and that's about it. All I think about is my legs because that's the first thing to go.
DE: During the meets you always have headphones on. What are you listening too?
BR: I have this CD mix of lots of those old dance rap songs and stuff, but I always have to listen to Notorious B.I.G. Before every swim I have to listen to B.I.G., every time. I always listen to that CD and I listen to a tape, a miscellaneous mix my dad gave me before my state meet of my senior year. I have to listen to that one every meet too.
DE: You usually win both the 100 and 200 backstroke pretty easily. Do you ever look at the times and surprise yourself by how much you won?
BR: Yeah, especially in-season, I usually feel like crap. We're beaten down everyday and this year in particular, I've gone faster than I ever have in-season before and it's just blowing me away because this is the worst I've ever felt. I'm always surprised because the time is never how I feel.
DE: Do you think you can take MVC record-holder Kim Dodson of Evansville in the 50 freestyle?
BR: I'm going to give her a run for her money man. It's called the X-factor. I may be long and lanky, but I'm going to try and pull off the sprint. I'm gonna try and get her. The keyword is try.
DE: Favorite actor?
BR: I'll say Robert DeNiro. I'll watch any movie with Robert DeNiro. I love mobs and Mafia and all that stuff.
DE: Favorite movie?
BR: Shawshank Redemption, no question.
DE: Favorite TV show?
BR: The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. I love it.
DE: Favorite musician?
BR: Frank Sinatra.
DE: Favorite local restaurant?
BR: Fazoli's - I eat there everyday.
Reporter Jens Deju can be reached at jdeju@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
