Kelsi Dahlia thought that she'd be a physical therapist right about now.
The 24-year-old Olympic swimmer (Gold in the 4x100-meter medley relay) was in the midst of training for the World Champions Meet this summer, the second-highest outside of the Olympics when I asked her about how Louisville shaped her swimming career. She credits Division 1 athletics and their extremely competitive nature, as well as the team culture of U of L. "We are incredibly competitive with each other every day and we push each other really hard. I definitely couldn't have (had) my individual successes without our team successes."
As for the city of Louisville, Kelsi knows firsthand how welcoming the people are. When she was set to swim at her first Olympic Games in 2016, the expense of having her family see her compete was steep, to say the least. However, when her family announced they were selling t-shirts on an online site to raise money, the people of Louisville stepped up by buying t-shirts and raised $30,000. She says that the "The city of Louisville surrounds U of L athletics."
The community aspect of the city of Louisville was essential in helping Kelsi's family get to the Olympics, but it also helped her develop as an athlete.
Her team was close, and competitive in the way that helped her grow as a player and made her stronger and a better competitor. Through the years, Dahlia's experience as a collegiate swimmer grew, and so when the time came for her professional career to take place, and her successes took her to new heights as an athlete, the University of Louisville had prepared her for it. In between the meets and the photoshoots, Olympic medals and promotions, posters and press conferences, her teammates had her back. They were, and are, like a second family to her. This confidence in her support system is what led Dahlia to believe in her own dreams of being a professional athlete, and even still, her teammates support her in her success.
Dahlia's success hasn't come without sacrifice.
She's had to miss out on time spent with loved ones to go on training trips, but through lessons comes learning. "I've learned the value of saying no to some things so that you can say yes to better things. God has a plan. He holds the result. He knows what's best for me." This confidence is what keeps her steadfast in her swimming career. Dahlia's faith and hard work are what keeps her going when practices are long, the pressure is on, and the meets are high-profile.
Her advice for women and girls with dreams of being professional athletes - or succeeding in the business world: "Keep yourself accountable.. surround yourself for people that love you for you, not what you do." Dahlia knows that her career would not have been as long or successful "...If I was only defined by my accomplishments."
