The University of British Columbia
UBC - A Place of Mind
The University of British Columbia
UBC News
  • Home
  • News Tips
  • Arts & Humanities
  • Business, Law & Society
  • Science, Health & Technology
  • University News
  • Contacts
  • Services
    • Services for Journalists
    • Services for Faculty
Home / 2012 / July / 04 / UBC swims for Canada
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

UBC swims for Canada

Jul 4, 2012 - by Gudrun Jonsdottir

‘I can’t believe it’s actually my life’

Medal hopeful Tera Van Beilen is ready to surprise everyone

Tera van Beilen has been getting multiple interview requests a week since she made the Canadian Olympic swimming team four months ago. That was days after her 19th birthday. “People even ask me for autographs,” says Van Beilen, one of UBC’s student-athletes going to London this summer. “It’s all so crazy and surreal, I can’t believe it’s actually my life.”

Van Beilen came to UBC last year to study kinesiology and to swim. Even though she now considers herself a UBC athlete, she will always be a representative of her hometown of Oakville, Ontario. “It’s kind of weird, they kind of just want to own me everywhere,” she says.

Her swim for an Olympic medal wasn’t supposed to happen this year and for that, she credits UBC.

“It’s really all thanks to training with my coach Jozsef Nagy and being in the Aquatic Centre here in Vancouver,” says Van Beilen, who notes that UBC’s reputation as a swimming powerhouse is living up to her expectations.

The life of a world-class swimmer has its ups and downs, as Van Beilen describes her daily routine just weeks before the big event. Four times a week she has practices early in the morning, around lunchtime and in the evening; in between, she naps.

“It’s a lot of hours a week. I don’t bother to count because it makes me feel like I’m crazy.”

At the end of the day, her love for swimming, and seeing how far she has come, helps her drag her feet out of bed every morning. “I have a bigger goal in mind,” she says.

Competing at the Olympic level has given Van Beilen experiences that most people will never have. “Sometimes when I’m on the blocks in Australia, Europe or China, I think to myself: ‘am I actually in this country swimming? I have such a crazy life,’ and then the beeper goes and it is time to focus.”

Now the big event is just around the corner for Van Beilen, who is still unsure whether both her parents will get to watch her living her dream. She has only received one guest ticket to her events thus far.

“When I think about both my swim events being sold out, it makes me a little freaked out,” she says.

When Van Beilen steps into the spotlight in London, it won’t just be the 17,000 spectators watching, it will be the whole world. That’s a lot of pressure for a newcomer.

“I always swim well under pressure. I like the adrenaline. Nobody knows who I am so I can use that to my advantage; I can surprise them all.”

Find other stories about: 2012olympics, studentlife

UBC and the 2012 Summer Games

News Tips

News Tips

Looking for story ideas?
Check out our latest News Tips!

Find UBC Experts

An information source that gives journalists access to UBC’s expertise.

Making a Difference

COVID-19

Learn how UBC is rallying to support Canada's response to COVID-19.

Explore

  • Arts & Humanities
  • Business, Law & Society
  • Science, Health & Technology
  • University News
  • Q&As
  • Media Advisories
  • Latest News

Tweets by @ubcnews

My Tweets
Subscribe & receive news by e-mail View UBC's Okanagan News Room
    
Public Affairs
310 - 6251 Cecil Green Park Road
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1
Tel 604 822 6397
Fax 604 822 2684
Website http://news.ubc.ca
Email public.affairs@ubc.ca
Find us on
    
Back to top
The University of British Columbia
  • Emergency Procedures |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Copyright |
  • Accessibility
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.