Not only does USC boast world-class athletes, but world-class student-athletes as well. Each month, we will profile one of these outstanding Trojans who has chosen to pursue coursework in either the science, technology, engineering or math field (STEM).
Name: Hannah Weiss
Sport: Women's Swimming
Year: Sophomore
Major: Human Biology
Sarah Bergstrom (SB): Coming from Mercer, Washington, how did you end up deciding to attend USC?
Hannah Weiss (HW): In swimming you get recruited your junior year. You talk to all the coaches and it's a very intense process. Some people get caught up in too much of the swimming side of things, but for me, the whole decision came down to academics as well. Of course the swimming program here is amazing. Dave Salo has an amazing philosophy and they've put so many Olympians on the Olympic team, so that was one of the selling points for me. And you really can't beat USC when it comes to academics too. I wanted to stay on the west coast and in the Pac-12 Conference because that's really where all my competition is. When I came here for my recruiting visit, it really clicked for me. It ended up being an easy decision.
SB: Did you know what you wanted to study before you got here?
HW: I came in undecided but I knew I was kind of leaning toward staying in the athletic realm. I don't really see myself sitting at a desk forever. I grew up hiking and camping, I'm really outdoorsy and athletics are such a huge part of my life right now, I thought it would be fun to transition into something I like doing once I'm done with swimming. I'm very interested in the human body so I'm doing human biology right now and I'm on the Pre-Physical Therapy tract.
SB: I know from talking to students who aren't athletes that human biology is one of the tougher majors here at USC. How has it been balancing a tough major, Pre-PT requirements and swimming?
HW: I kind of knew that it was going to be really tough to balance but I've never been one to shy away from something that's really tough just because people say it's tough. I've had to sacrifice parts of my social life and some other things but I really believe it's going to pay off.
SB: You're obviously very busy but are there things you enjoy doing outside of swimming and all the work that goes into your major?
HW: I am really artistic, people don't seem to know that. My mom was kind of an artist as well. When I have free time I paint, I draw, I use pens, really anything. It's funny because right now all my coaches want me to paint things for their offices and everyone on the team is asking me for paintings. I really love that. I also am a part of the PT Club here which basically exposes us to really awesome opportunities in the physical therapy field in a hands on way.
SB: I recently watched a video of your trip to Austin for the Texas Invitational and I was laughing because every single member of your team was studying on the plane. It must be hard in swimming, being a meet sport with a lot of travel, to find the time to study. What's that like balancing all of that year-round?
HW: Yeah it's pretty crazy sometimes. At that meet we had several teammates who had to take finals while we were in Texas. It's really tough. We go to Texas Invite every year and it's always the last week of classes. That's why we are all on the plane doing work. You can't slack off if you want to do well. Luckily I've always been pretty good at balancing work with travel. In high school I went to a lot of meets as part of USA swimming and I'm used to having to miss school but getting stuff done while I'm gone.
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Name: Hannah WeissSport: Women's Swimming
Year: Sophomore
Major: Human Biology
Sarah Bergstrom (SB): Coming from Mercer, Washington, how did you end up deciding to attend USC?
Hannah Weiss (HW): In swimming you get recruited your junior year. You talk to all the coaches and it's a very intense process. Some people get caught up in too much of the swimming side of things, but for me, the whole decision came down to academics as well. Of course the swimming program here is amazing. Dave Salo has an amazing philosophy and they've put so many Olympians on the Olympic team, so that was one of the selling points for me. And you really can't beat USC when it comes to academics too. I wanted to stay on the west coast and in the Pac-12 Conference because that's really where all my competition is. When I came here for my recruiting visit, it really clicked for me. It ended up being an easy decision.
SB: Did you know what you wanted to study before you got here?
HW: I came in undecided but I knew I was kind of leaning toward staying in the athletic realm. I don't really see myself sitting at a desk forever. I grew up hiking and camping, I'm really outdoorsy and athletics are such a huge part of my life right now, I thought it would be fun to transition into something I like doing once I'm done with swimming. I'm very interested in the human body so I'm doing human biology right now and I'm on the Pre-Physical Therapy tract.
SB: I know from talking to students who aren't athletes that human biology is one of the tougher majors here at USC. How has it been balancing a tough major, Pre-PT requirements and swimming?
HW: I kind of knew that it was going to be really tough to balance but I've never been one to shy away from something that's really tough just because people say it's tough. I've had to sacrifice parts of my social life and some other things but I really believe it's going to pay off.
SB: You're obviously very busy but are there things you enjoy doing outside of swimming and all the work that goes into your major?
HW: I am really artistic, people don't seem to know that. My mom was kind of an artist as well. When I have free time I paint, I draw, I use pens, really anything. It's funny because right now all my coaches want me to paint things for their offices and everyone on the team is asking me for paintings. I really love that. I also am a part of the PT Club here which basically exposes us to really awesome opportunities in the physical therapy field in a hands on way.
SB: I recently watched a video of your trip to Austin for the Texas Invitational and I was laughing because every single member of your team was studying on the plane. It must be hard in swimming, being a meet sport with a lot of travel, to find the time to study. What's that like balancing all of that year-round?
HW: Yeah it's pretty crazy sometimes. At that meet we had several teammates who had to take finals while we were in Texas. It's really tough. We go to Texas Invite every year and it's always the last week of classes. That's why we are all on the plane doing work. You can't slack off if you want to do well. Luckily I've always been pretty good at balancing work with travel. In high school I went to a lot of meets as part of USA swimming and I'm used to having to miss school but getting stuff done while I'm gone.
SB: It seems like one of the coolest parts of competing in an Olympic sport is the international travel you get to participate in if you perform at a high level. Where are some of the places you've had the opportunity to go in your career?
HW: I've been to China, Tokyo, Hawaii and tons of other places around the United States. Those really are the most amazing experiences. Once you've hit that level, you get to know all the other swimmers you're competing against. It's more than just swimming at that point. It's really cool to get to represent the United States, it's something that not a lot of people can say. I've learned so much from those experiences.
SB: When did you start swimming and begin competing on the U.S. team?
HW: I was actually pretty late. I started competitive swimming when I was around 13. Most people start when they're like eight or younger. I used to dance and do all these other sports and eventually I really committed to swimming. My dad went to two Olympic Trials and swam for the University of Wisconsin. I have two brothers, one is a twin and one's older, and we all swam and all grew up doing it. I was going to end up in the swimming world somehow (laughs).
SB: How did you end up with backstroke as your main event? Is that what your dad and brothers excelled in too?
HW: That's an interesting story. I started swimming when I was around five, just over the summer and for fun like most kids. When I started racing I was a butterflier, because that's what my dad did as well as freestyle, and I remember going for our team record in the 50y record in butterfly and I didn't get it. Then a week later my coach told me that I had actually broke the 50y backstroke record, without even realizing it! No one knew, we didn't even think that was something I'd be great at. It's always been funny because I just kind of fell into backstroke. My brothers did freestyle. It's kind of my thing. My dad's mom I guess was the Illinois champion in the backstroke so I guess maybe it's in my genes.
SB: What was your perspective coming in as a freshman last year? Did you expect to make as big of an impact as you did or did you think you'd need time to adjust? (Last season, Weiss set the USC 100y backstroke record and became an All-American as a member of USC's seventh-place 400y medley relay at the NCAA Championships.)
HW: That was one thing I really rejected. People would always tell me after a bad race or something, "Oh don't worry about it, you're just a freshman." But my mentality about it was, "Why can't I be fast as a freshman? Why can't I do well?" So I just went in and had fun and I did well. I didn't allow the pressure to hit me. I understand that yeah, it's hard to adjust as a freshman but everything turned out really well.
SB: After that great start last year, what are the things you're most focused on accomplishing this year?
HW: This season is really interesting because just around the corner are the Olympic Trials. I'm balancing between putting an emphasis on Olympic training and collegiate swimming which is kind of tough. It's a quick turnaround. We have NCAA Championships in March and then the Olympic Trials are in June. It's very mental. People don't understand how mental swimming is but it really is, it's pretty intense. If for whatever reason I don't do well at NCAAs I'll have to figure out how to not let that affect me for the Trials.
SB: It's pretty awesome that you're not the only student-athlete at this school that has their eyes on Rio next summer. What's that like being at a school where people are able to share those aspirations?
HW: It's so cool. That was definitely one of my selling points in coming here. If you're able to train with people who have the same goals, then you're probably more likely to attain those goals. I really enjoy that part of being here.
HW: I've been to China, Tokyo, Hawaii and tons of other places around the United States. Those really are the most amazing experiences. Once you've hit that level, you get to know all the other swimmers you're competing against. It's more than just swimming at that point. It's really cool to get to represent the United States, it's something that not a lot of people can say. I've learned so much from those experiences.
SB: When did you start swimming and begin competing on the U.S. team?
HW: I was actually pretty late. I started competitive swimming when I was around 13. Most people start when they're like eight or younger. I used to dance and do all these other sports and eventually I really committed to swimming. My dad went to two Olympic Trials and swam for the University of Wisconsin. I have two brothers, one is a twin and one's older, and we all swam and all grew up doing it. I was going to end up in the swimming world somehow (laughs).
SB: How did you end up with backstroke as your main event? Is that what your dad and brothers excelled in too?
HW: That's an interesting story. I started swimming when I was around five, just over the summer and for fun like most kids. When I started racing I was a butterflier, because that's what my dad did as well as freestyle, and I remember going for our team record in the 50y record in butterfly and I didn't get it. Then a week later my coach told me that I had actually broke the 50y backstroke record, without even realizing it! No one knew, we didn't even think that was something I'd be great at. It's always been funny because I just kind of fell into backstroke. My brothers did freestyle. It's kind of my thing. My dad's mom I guess was the Illinois champion in the backstroke so I guess maybe it's in my genes.
SB: What was your perspective coming in as a freshman last year? Did you expect to make as big of an impact as you did or did you think you'd need time to adjust? (Last season, Weiss set the USC 100y backstroke record and became an All-American as a member of USC's seventh-place 400y medley relay at the NCAA Championships.)
HW: That was one thing I really rejected. People would always tell me after a bad race or something, "Oh don't worry about it, you're just a freshman." But my mentality about it was, "Why can't I be fast as a freshman? Why can't I do well?" So I just went in and had fun and I did well. I didn't allow the pressure to hit me. I understand that yeah, it's hard to adjust as a freshman but everything turned out really well.
SB: After that great start last year, what are the things you're most focused on accomplishing this year?
HW: This season is really interesting because just around the corner are the Olympic Trials. I'm balancing between putting an emphasis on Olympic training and collegiate swimming which is kind of tough. It's a quick turnaround. We have NCAA Championships in March and then the Olympic Trials are in June. It's very mental. People don't understand how mental swimming is but it really is, it's pretty intense. If for whatever reason I don't do well at NCAAs I'll have to figure out how to not let that affect me for the Trials.
SB: It's pretty awesome that you're not the only student-athlete at this school that has their eyes on Rio next summer. What's that like being at a school where people are able to share those aspirations?
HW: It's so cool. That was definitely one of my selling points in coming here. If you're able to train with people who have the same goals, then you're probably more likely to attain those goals. I really enjoy that part of being here.
