Carly Piper: Living her Dream

"Carly's determination and ability to remain consistent through day-to-day training is one of her strengths," said University of Wisconsin Coach Eric Hansen. "She's not afraid. There's a lot of opportunity in swimming. When you stand on that block, you're capable of anything."

Piper and her teammates took the gold medal for the United States in the 800-meter freestyle relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, with a world-record time of 7:53.42. Piper had qualified for the Olympic team that morning at prelims, with a time of 1:59.37. The University of Wisconsin (UW) senior swam the second leg with a split time of 1:59.39, helping her team break the world's record set by former East Germany seventeen years ago.

"Swimming on a relay team is great because it's a team within a team and you have three others to support you besides the rest of the team," said Piper. "You know you have someone else to swim for besides yourself, so I tried to go out there and do what I was picked to do."

Olympic impact

"Carly's Olympic record had as much of an impact as you would think," Hansen said. "She did a lot for our swim program and for herself. She broke the ice so others can follow."  Coach Hansen believes that it helped to take each day a step at a time. Piper's accomplishment is just beginning to sink in, not to mention all the media attention she's attracted.

Piper is the first female UW swimmer to compete in the Olympics, having qualified at trials by finishing fifth in the 200 meter free and sixth in the 400 meter free. Her other accolades are numerous: a member of the gold medal-winning 800 meter free relay at the 2003 Pan American Games; countless Big Ten championship titles; eight All-America selections; Speedo swimmer of the year in 2000; sixth place in the 400 meter free at the NCAA Championships; 2002 Big Ten Conference Freshman Swimmer of the Year and 2002 USA Swimming Organization's swimmer of the month.

Consistency is key

"When we raise the bar, so much can be accomplished," said Hansen. "It doesn't take a superhero to excel, just solid, consistent training." Hansen said Piper came to UW from high school as a solid swimmer, though not world class. What set Piper apart was her consistency and ability to get on the blocks and not question what she was doing.

"A winner is someone willing to get into the system, learn and add to the workouts to improve those around you and yourself," Hansen said. "It's what you bring to the table that's important." Hansen has coached numerous All-America, World and National champions.

What tips might motivate swimmers to train like Piper? Hansen, a former member of the U.S. National Team, stresses versatility such as varying modalities, strokes and kicking routines.

To learn more about Carly Piper, visit http://www.uwbadgers.com/