Monday, March 14, 2022
Work Ethic, Determination Wills Patrick Callan to Fulfill Olympic Dream
Patrick Callan began feeling doubt when he looked around the ready room before the final heat of the 200 freestyle at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming.
He knew he needed to beat two of the people in the room for a chance to make the U.S. Olympic Team. But in a heat filled with a who’s who of the best swimmers in the world, including Zach Apple, Townley Haas, Drew Kibler, Blake Pieroni, and Kieran Smith, Callan didn’t know if he could. He grew up idolizing those swimmers, and now they were his rivals.
“It was one of those moments where I feel like I don’t belong just because of how incredible all these people are,” Callan said. “It was a really cool moment just thinking how far I’ve come and that I put myself in a situation to be racing these Olympians. You’re kind of like, ‘Dang, I must have done something right if I’m in the ready room with Townley Haas or Blake Pieroni.’”
Callan proved he belonged in that heat by finishing sixth with a 1:46.49. He was in disbelief when he saw his place on the scoreboard, saying he had to do a triple-check to make sure. He put himself in a spot to land on the U.S. Olympic Team, as the top four swimmers in the 200 freestyle automatically receive a spot, but the fifth- and sixth-place swimmers have to see how many swimmers qualify in other events before being given a spot.
He learned a few days later that he had earned a spot, accomplishing his longtime goal. He swam in the preliminary heats of the 4x200 freestyle relay at the Olympics, helping Team USA finish fourth, but his path to Tokyo was filled with a few bumps.
After swimming a 1:51.97 at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, Callan went a 1:47.36 a year later. The four-second drop gave him confidence that he could become an Olympian in 2020. His time in 2017 would’ve qualified him for the U.S. Olympic Team in 2016, coincidentally as the sixth-place finisher.
Callan kept expecting to break 1:47 but didn’t — meet after meet, year after year. He entered last year’s trials not having dropped any time in the event over the prior four years.
“Each time, the doubts come in where you’re like, ‘Maybe it’s not going to happen, maybe I’m not going to make this team,’” Callan said. “The hardest part of that was just trying to stay confident in myself and not let the doubts get to me too much, even though it had been four years, which is a long time to not go a single best time after you just dropped four seconds. Trying to keep the doubts out as much possible is really, really hard.”
He'd tell swimmers struggling to drop time to maintain their confidence and keep working hard.
“That’s what I was telling myself, that’s what my coaches and teammates were all telling me,” Callan said. “Swimming’s a sport where you get out what you put in. If you keep putting in all the work and doing everything right—eating right, recovery, sleep, all these things—it’s going to come around one day. Someday, it’s gonna work.”
Callan recorded a personal best in the preliminary heats at 2020 trials, accomplishing his goal of breaking 1:47 with his 1:46.96. He then dropped nearly another half-second in the final heat, showing that his confidence in himself and his hard work paid off despite his struggles.
Making the U.S. Olympic Team was a special moment for Callan, but as the University of Michigan senior prepares for the NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships March 23–26 at Georgia Tech, he isn’t focused on the past. He recognizes that qualifying for the Olympics in 2021 doesn’t guarantee him anything at the next Olympic Trials in two years. There will be swimmers in the same position he was last year, swimmers who grew up idolizing others in the ready room before the 200 freestyle final but hoping to achieve their goal of making Team USA.
Callan will swim next season for Michigan, his final year of collegiate eligibility, if he gets into his school’s sports management master’s program. If he doesn’t, Callan plans to turn pro and continue training at Michigan in hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” Callan said. “I love my teammates, my coaches here. I want to finish out my career here.”
He knew he needed to beat two of the people in the room for a chance to make the U.S. Olympic Team. But in a heat filled with a who’s who of the best swimmers in the world, including Zach Apple, Townley Haas, Drew Kibler, Blake Pieroni, and Kieran Smith, Callan didn’t know if he could. He grew up idolizing those swimmers, and now they were his rivals.
“It was one of those moments where I feel like I don’t belong just because of how incredible all these people are,” Callan said. “It was a really cool moment just thinking how far I’ve come and that I put myself in a situation to be racing these Olympians. You’re kind of like, ‘Dang, I must have done something right if I’m in the ready room with Townley Haas or Blake Pieroni.’”
Callan proved he belonged in that heat by finishing sixth with a 1:46.49. He was in disbelief when he saw his place on the scoreboard, saying he had to do a triple-check to make sure. He put himself in a spot to land on the U.S. Olympic Team, as the top four swimmers in the 200 freestyle automatically receive a spot, but the fifth- and sixth-place swimmers have to see how many swimmers qualify in other events before being given a spot.
He learned a few days later that he had earned a spot, accomplishing his longtime goal. He swam in the preliminary heats of the 4x200 freestyle relay at the Olympics, helping Team USA finish fourth, but his path to Tokyo was filled with a few bumps.
After swimming a 1:51.97 at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, Callan went a 1:47.36 a year later. The four-second drop gave him confidence that he could become an Olympian in 2020. His time in 2017 would’ve qualified him for the U.S. Olympic Team in 2016, coincidentally as the sixth-place finisher.
Callan kept expecting to break 1:47 but didn’t — meet after meet, year after year. He entered last year’s trials not having dropped any time in the event over the prior four years.
“Each time, the doubts come in where you’re like, ‘Maybe it’s not going to happen, maybe I’m not going to make this team,’” Callan said. “The hardest part of that was just trying to stay confident in myself and not let the doubts get to me too much, even though it had been four years, which is a long time to not go a single best time after you just dropped four seconds. Trying to keep the doubts out as much possible is really, really hard.”
He'd tell swimmers struggling to drop time to maintain their confidence and keep working hard.
“That’s what I was telling myself, that’s what my coaches and teammates were all telling me,” Callan said. “Swimming’s a sport where you get out what you put in. If you keep putting in all the work and doing everything right—eating right, recovery, sleep, all these things—it’s going to come around one day. Someday, it’s gonna work.”
Callan recorded a personal best in the preliminary heats at 2020 trials, accomplishing his goal of breaking 1:47 with his 1:46.96. He then dropped nearly another half-second in the final heat, showing that his confidence in himself and his hard work paid off despite his struggles.
Making the U.S. Olympic Team was a special moment for Callan, but as the University of Michigan senior prepares for the NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships March 23–26 at Georgia Tech, he isn’t focused on the past. He recognizes that qualifying for the Olympics in 2021 doesn’t guarantee him anything at the next Olympic Trials in two years. There will be swimmers in the same position he was last year, swimmers who grew up idolizing others in the ready room before the 200 freestyle final but hoping to achieve their goal of making Team USA.
Callan will swim next season for Michigan, his final year of collegiate eligibility, if he gets into his school’s sports management master’s program. If he doesn’t, Callan plans to turn pro and continue training at Michigan in hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” Callan said. “I love my teammates, my coaches here. I want to finish out my career here.”