Champ Chat with Coach C: Featuring Ted Beiter
When did you begin your competitive swimming career and why?
I began my swimming career when I was 8 on a summer swim team. My parents thought it would be a good way to spend the summer and try out a new sport.
Was there any single moment or race where "the light bulb" went on and you realized "I can be pretty good at this?"
Honestly there wasn’t. I always remember being one of the best swimmers in my age group.
What other sports did you play when you were in elementary and middle school? When did you choose to concentrate on swimming?
At St. Gabriel's I played basketball, soccer and ran track up until 6th grade. By 7th grade I was only focusing on swimming.
I'm sure you've endured your fair share of "I don't even drive that far every day" wise cracks. During a peak volume training phase, how many yards a day or week would you actually swim?
A typical practice for me was 3000-5000 meters. Last year, we swam 20x200s freestyle every Wednesday morning for about three months.
What has been the most difficult challenge for you in maintaining in-pool excellence along with academic excellence at a college preparatory school like St. Michael's?
The hardest thing for me was getting out of bed at 4:45 three days out of the week to go to morning practice - then going right back to the pool after school for another 3 hours of practice. That daily grind is very taxing and wears you down mentally and physically. There were nights I didn’t get home until 8 or 9 then I’d have a couple hours of work to do on top of that. However, I don’t regret any of it.
When did you make it your goal to break the State record in the 100 breast, and why?
I made it my goal to break the record early in my junior year after breaking the school record. Later that year I won state in the 100 breast but missed the record by .17 seconds. By senior year, there was no doubt in my mind I was going to break the record.
Walk us through that moment when you looked up at the clock and saw that time.
When I looked up, I honestly wasn’t surprised. From the moment I dove off the blocks, I knew I was going to break that record.
You look up at that record board and you see the names like Rohleder, Boushka, etc. What does it mean to have your name added to the list of SMCA record holders?
I remember in 7th grade when I first went to a SMCA basketball game and saw the record board. I never dreamed of breaking four of those records and going on to win state in multiple events as well. I'm honored to be up there.
What advice do you have for young aspiring swimmers?
From my experiences, I believe swimming, and success in general is both a long process and a daily struggle. Swimmers will no doubt have their ups and downs. Missing the record in 2017 was a low point for me but coming back in 2018 and shattering it makes this process all worth it.
Share three things nobody knows about you? The funnier the better!
- I always sleep with a fan on
- I don’t drink soda
- My shoe size is 13
What was your most embarrassing moment?
I don’t get embarrassed very easily. I can’t think of a good one.
If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only bring one person, one item and one thing to eat…what would your answers be?
I’d bring my girlfriend, a fishing pole and chicken fried steak.
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