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My Story

When I was young, my parents exposed me to as many different sports and hobbies as they could in hopes of me finding my niche.  I tried soccer, running, figure skating, art, ceramics, viola lessons , and many other things.  Swimming was the sport that became my focus and my passion.  When I first started swimming, I wasn’t in love with the sport because I was always cold.  There was a period of time where, since I was so skinny, I wore a rubber wetsuit to practice every day so I didn’t freeze. My coaches used to call me “Shiver” because I was always shivering and cold.  As time went on, I got better and better at swimming, and I grew to love the sport. 

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Early on, I was a good swimmer but, I wasn’t anything special.  I was the smallest kid in the pool and I was always the underdog.  At age eleven I was only 4’9” and skinny.  Other kids were a head taller and faster.  I was never expected to win, but I loved to race and compete.  Others have doubted me, but I never have, I never do.  As it does today, competition drove me.  It didn’t matter that I was the smallest kid.  It only mattered that I worked hard and did my best. 

 

I never gave up.

I never listened to others when they told me I couldn’t do something.  I just worked harder and tried to do what my coaches told me to -- especially with regard to form.  When I turned thirteen, I began growing.  As I grew, all of the hours I put in on my form started to pay off.  I was 5’3” and fourteen when I attended my first senior national meet when I raced at the 2017 Winter National Championships in Columbus, Ohio.  In that meet, I made the B final in the 50 Free and the 100 Fly.  I was thrilled!  The success I was having only spurred me to work harder.  I swam seven days a week.  I even worked on Sunday, my swim club’s off day, so that I could improve my technique and work on my weak strokes.  For several years, Sunday was my hardest day of practice each week.  I was driven and my early success showed me that my hard work was paying off.   My big breakthrough meet came at the 2019 U.S. Open Winter Championships in Atlanta.  I surprised everyone, including myself, when I finished first in the 100 Fly.  Again, the success made me work even harder.  For the first time in my life, I added strength training to my regimen because I thought there was a chance to make the next Olympic Team.  

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I was determined not to be outworked.

During COVID, I didn’t have access to a pool, but I worked harder than ever.  I was on the rower and the bike for three hours each day and I ran and did heavy ropes every other day.  After about two months, we finally found a pool I could swim in.  It was a 42-foot backyard pool and we had to drive an hour one way just to swim. I was thrilled to get in it.  The pool was so small that I would reach the other side too quickly and get dizzy because of all the turns.  So I incorporated cord work and parachutes into my swimming.  It was hard, but it helped me maintain my stroke and conditioning.  After 4 months I got back into a 25-meter pool.  It felt great and with all the work I put in, I was in great shape.  My second day back in the 25-meter pool I swam two practices and 12,000 meters.  I was back in my element and embracing the work in the water.

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Once I saw how strong I was and how well I was swimming, I knew I had a chance to make the Olympic Team and I was dedicated.  I knew in order to make the team I would have to train more and even harder.  I never missed a practice and did doubles almost every day.  After practices I did the heavy rope and sprinted hills. 

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Due to the fact that my school was virtual during COVID, I worked hard on studies just like I did my work in the pool.  I finished 9 ½ months of school in just 5 ½ months while taking four AP Courses.  I really wanted to make the Olympic Team and was determined to pay the price.    

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A month before the Olympic Trails, I gained access to a long-course pool.  My training stepped up another notch.  In June of 2021 it all came together, and my work paid off.  I made the Olympic Team.  Just four years after I stood in line for Olivia Smoliga’s autograph, I joined her on the Tokyo Olympic team.  Without a doubt, representing the U.S. was the thrill of my life.     

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Unfortunately, not everything always works out as planned.  I missed the podium in Tokyo by 1/100th of a second and just 14/100ths of a second behind the gold.  Luckily, I did have the thrill of winning an Olympic medal as part of the Women’s 4x100 Medley Relay Team with teammates Regan Smith, Lydia Jacoby, Abbey Weitzeil.  I could not be more proud of the entire American Team and the effort we all put out.  The Tokyo Olympics were a great experience and a great learning opportunity for me, and I’ve become a better person and swimmer through my experience there.  Finishing fourth, only served to motivate me more.      

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I love to race! It’s why I swim. 

People often comment about my stoic demeanor and intensity on race day.  On race day, I am all business.  There is nothing but me and the water.  I generally don’t talk much when I race, and I don’t think about the crowd.  This is especially the case right before I get on the blocks.  It’s not that I don’t want to recognize the crowd for their support, or that I’m not friendly with the other swimmers (I am friends with many I race), racing just takes my full focus. To excel, I have to be one with the water, and this is how I do that. 

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As for the rest of my life, away from the pool I almost never talk about swimming.  Although I am swimmer, it doesn’t define who I am.  I love to swim, but I try to maintain a balance in my life and to enjoy life out of the pool. 

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I carry the same passion that I have with my swimming into everything I do in life.  My favorite thing to do is spend time with my friends.   My family and friends (both from home in Virginia and at Stanford) are the most important thing in my life.  I miss them all terribly when I am away from them.  The love and support they have provided me over the years, means the world to me, and I would not be the person I am today without them. 

 

I also love to travel and experience other cultures.  To date, I have been to nine different countries, and I hope to visit many more.  I am proud of my Chinese heritage and have I been to China three times to see relatives.  I love visiting there because the people are so interesting, engaging and friendly.  When I am there, I feel as if I am at home.   

 

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Other than the people around me, my greatest love is art. 

I love to paint. I find it relaxing and therapeutic  When I am stressed, I like to find time to get away and paint.  It seems to ground me.  I enjoy just being in the moment.  My mom taught me that. 

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Without a doubt, my mother has been the most influential person in my life.  I am who I am today because of her.  She is my inspiration, and I am very proud of her.  She is a first-generation Chinese immigrant who was born in Quanzhou, China.  During the Cultural Revolution her family was relocated to a camp in the remote countryside where she spent the majority of her childhood.  Despite the difficulties of growing up during those trying times, she worked hard and excelled in her studies.  In 1990 she left her job as an architect in China to come to the United States in search of a better life.  Throughout my life she has taught me the value of hard work and persistence.  I admire her for the dedication, persistence and perseverance she exhibits in everything she does and I try to model myself after her example.    

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My mother also taught me the value of education. 

Next to family and friends, my education has always been the most important thing in my life.  When I looked at colleges, I chose Stanford for two reasons – the team, and the education.  I love Stanford.  The people are intelligent and interesting, and the courses are challenging and rewarding.  It is the perfect fit for me.  I am so glad to have made such good friends here (both on and off the team).  I really think that my experiences at Stanford are preparing me for the rest of my life.       

 

I have many goals for the future

 

I have been truly blessed both in and out of the pool. 

 

I’m a friend, daughter, artist, student and swimmer – and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead.

 

I am Torri Huske and I AM and I CAN.

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