After another standout season, senior Rachel Heim is looking ahead to her final season as a Bobcat. At the 2010 MAC Championships, Rachel won the 100 back, 100 fly, and 200 fly on her way to being named the MAC Co-Swimmer of the Year. She is a 6-time individual MAC champion, current MAC record holder in the 100 fly, 100 back, & 200 free relay, and a 3-time NCAA Academic All-American. Last week at the Sonoco National Swimming Championships in Irvine, California, Rachel placed 21st in the 100 fly while posting a lifetime best 1:00.43."I first found out about Ohio University through recruiting information and phone calls. I met Brian and Greg at Juniors Nationals in California during the summer prior to my senior year. Being a San Diego native, I had no intention of going to Ohio ("the middle of nowhere" to me at the time), but I was open to trying something new. The coaches were persistent in calling me after we met at Juniors, but I still didn't think I would want to live in Ohio. I was hesitant to commit to an official visit but finally decided to make Ohio my final visit.
I arrived for my trip and met up with another recruit and Brian, the assistant coach, and we began the journey from the airport to OU. The car ride went pretty quickly. There never was (and still never is) a lack of conversation with Brian. We drove by campus on our way to our hotel, since our trip did not officially begin until the next day. I was amazed at how beautiful the campus was from a distance. Immediately from one look I felt something inside me say, "I could go to school here," which shocked me because I thought I already knew where I wanted to go.
The rest of the trip was a blur. The team was amazing....like one big family! Everything I had liked at other schools was at OU, and it was even more pronounced. The coaches and swimmers were on great terms, the academics were perfect, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, the school was beautiful, and I felt like I could contribute to and improve on this team. I went to the airport knowing that if I could afford it, this was where I wanted to spend the next 4 years of my life.
Having been at Ohio for 3 years, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am at the best place in the nation for me. Academically I have been challenged, and I have excelled. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime. I have more memories that I can count. I am currently a leader in Athletes in Action, an international Bible study for athletes, and I have built relationships with athletes beyond the swim team and OU. At Ohio, I have also found the man that I intend to spend the rest of my life with. I honestly cannot imagine what my life would look like today if I didn't take that recruiting trip.
One thing I noticed as a club swimmer was that the quality of my relationship with my coach affected my performance as an athlete, and so in college, I wanted to make sure that I had a coach that would work with me. It was really hard to figure something like that out on a recruiting trip that lasted less than 48 hours. I'm happy to say that I found it at Ohio and it's one thing I know has been influential in the success I have had. We both invest countless hours into training and improving, and we share in the successes and disappointments throughout the year. Our coaches care about us as individuals and know that things in our personal lives will affect our performances. I know for a fact that you can't find this at every school and I would say that it is one of the best things about swimming for Ohio University."
