So Claire Kherson talked to me about your experience in the 2020 2021 technically. Tokyo Olympics and how crazy that was a couple of weeks. Um I mean, I don't know if I can accurately kind of put it into words, just the experience, it was way, way beyond my expectations. Um it was definitely the longest I've been away from my family for like a swim meet sort of thing. So I was a little nervous for that, but I mean everyone on the staff and everyone, the team was so welcoming and inviting that I had so much fun. I sometimes I was glad I was there. I wasn't missing home too much, but I think they really, they really envied me just with how much fun I had there. Um and also it was hard not having my family there to be able to watch my swim meet, but it was amazing just being in the village and being able to meet all these different athletes from all these different countries and even meet some of the, some of team usa athletes from different sports. That was also really cool because we all lived in the building together, so it was just kind of been out of this world experience and you just had to pinch yourself every couple days just being like, oh my gosh, I'm actually here like this is happening, this is real. Um but I would do it all over again if I could, yeah, I'm sure and hey, maybe in three years. Yeah, yeah, me too. Um and I mean you're up to the point where your instagram posts gets commons from like Katie Ledecky so what was that experience like going there and I know you talked about it a little bit getting to see the other athletes from even other sports, but was it just incredible kind of getting almost mentor ship from these celebrity athletes and icons that you've been watching and you've been following and now you're you're their teammates. Yeah, actually it's funny you bring that up because actually um we all, we all kind of met at Narita at Hawaii airport. Um so I got, I got off my plane and actually twitter who's a fellow Olympian lives in north Carolina. So we flew together, we got off the airport together um and as we were walking to go to baggage claim, I turned around and there is like, hey Claire and I turned around and it's Katie Ledecky and I'm like okay, I had to do a double take because no way she actually knew my name and no way she's actually here like in the airport with me. Um At first it was definitely weird because you're like, oh my gosh, like I look up to you so much right here, you are like talking to me at dinner. Um but I mean you all just kind of become family at the end and with so many bus rides together and you're sitting next to everyone that I don't know, it's like they feel like friends like in the end it wasn't weird that I was like with Kayla ducky or like with lilly king or Caleb Dressel and those guys. Um but yeah, it was definitely an adjustment period and then it was, it's an honor just to be able to associate myself with them. So I really enjoyed, I can't even imagine how I was saying it was when she said your name, even even that, I'm sure like you said was a crazy moment. So being in high school, I mean, people are worried about prom and finals and varsity sports, you know, so you are at an international stage and you're competing and you helped team usa with the silver medal. So What has that been like the training that it's taken and how do you think your experience being just 17 years old has contributed to it and being at this age and having experience like this? How do you think that it's, it's affected you? Um I I still think it's strange, I mean, I think it will be a little weirder when I actually go back to school, I think right now I'm still kind of in my family bubble where we're used to this. Um but I mean, I don't really know any different. I've kind of, this has been my goal my entire life. So everything I've been doing has been working towards this Um and then I had a little bit of international experience when I was 15, going to a little bit lesser meat for world juniors. Um but I mean, I I guess I've always just, this has been my goal, this has been my dream and I've just done everything that I can to get here. So actually being here now, it's like, like all that work was definitely worth it. I can't wait to start again. I don't know, like I still worry about prom, like I'm so excited this year, it's my senior year. I can't wait. I love dressing up, so I'm so excited for that. Um I don't know, it's it's not that much different, it's just kind of who I am. Yeah, and when you think about, you know, you, like you said, this is your senior year of high school. Do you have anything in mind where you might be taken in college and in the next few years after you graduate or is that something you still got to worry about? You just got back? Why are you asking me about this situation? So I'm currently in the recruiting process that started June 15, my junior year or before my junior year. Um, so I, I took my time a little bit with the recruiting process, but I'm still talking to colleges, um still kind of deciding where I want to go. So I mean, it's still kind of a factor for me. I put it on the back burners for a little bit, just leading up to olympic trials and then the olympics, but it's always kind of in the back of my head and hopefully I'll be able to decide soon. Yeah, for sure and getting back, you, you said you know it was hard being away from your family, maybe not every single second that were going on and so many exciting things, but what was that room and like for you getting back home and seeing your family again and I know your family is a big part of your training and your your whole swimming career, so so what was that like kind of coming back and getting to get a real hug from them. Um it was, it was so nice, my mom actually flew up so from Narita airport, I flew in Newark, so she actually flew up to new work because I had like a super long layover just to like see me. So it was really nice just being able to talk to her and see her and I don't know it was a little strange because I was like I haven't seen you in like five weeks but I mean we facetime a lot, so it was kind of like I was home um but I definitely love sleeping in my own bed and eating american food with its been great. Yeah, I've had that and when you talk to your friends and people from home, what are some of the things that you know, they ask you about that you tell them what's that kind of interaction like just your you know, your high school friends and how excited they must have been getting to watch you compete in the way that you get this past couple of weeks. Mhm. Um it's just it's been great. I mean they've been reaching out to me over all these different channels so just kind of seeing that they're actually like interested in in swimming which is not very popular support in my high school and like they want to like watch and like know how they can they can view this. Um It's been honestly like heartwarming because I guess I haven't been consider myself like a popular kid in school so I don't think many people would know about like the whole thing and I mean something is not really that kind of big and well I guess it is big in north Carolina but in my school it's like football, basketball. Um So it was just sweet to like see kind of the support and be able to talk to everyone about it because they just want to know and I think it's really cool. Yeah I'm sure if they if you weren't popular before everyone's all of a sudden going to be your best friend. I mean you'll be carrying your your silver medal silver medal around at some point and I'm sure they will all be on paper photos um and in that qualifying around when you really have to step up and obviously it wasn't the final, but if you didn't do what you did team usa wouldn't be in the final. So what was it like when you were asked to take on that role and to to swim and compete in that way for your country? Mhm. Um I think kind of the big idolizing for a lot of young summers is a wedding ago matter of being on a relay. So I think just all throughout my swimming careers, relays have been the kind of easily the most fun position I've ever been in. So high school, I just love being around all these different athletes, some who don't swimming around somewhere do. It was kind of this big culmination of all these different wide variety of skills um and you're around without your longtime friends and teammates and people you see literally every day. So those are always so fun. And then I do summer swim, so all the summer swim like relay team, so just being able to be on the biggest stage with all my newfound friends um and competing for my country, I think it was it was an honor and it was a great experience and I really hope that I can be on more realize Yeah, and talk to me about the difference between going up when it's just you and you've got to jump in the pool, do your race and that's it versus competing in a relay when you've got your teammates right, they're going in after you switching off. What what are kind of different feelings, thoughts going through your head in those two different types of races? Well, I definitely think an individual race. So I had the individual race first, it was my first Olympic race, the first Olympic meet. I think I was definitely a little more nervous because you're sitting in the ready room for 20 minutes. I mean you're just with your thoughts and you're like, Oh my God, this, I'm about to go swim. Um, so I think I was in the ready room for the relay with like lilly king and and all in Ryan and Erica and all these different, amazing swimmers. So just being able to like have fun talk with each other, like lily showing us her crocks and then a lot of the girls were like talking with other countries. It's just a lot more relaxed. I feel like and you're having a lot more fun. So I think that just you just swim so much faster and what to you is special about butterfly. I know there's there's a few different things you could be doing and I know butterfly is kind of the most tolling uh swimming competition and I can't imagine how you do it over and over and over again. But what do you make that stroke stand out and be the one that you have been a star in so far. Um I just I love dolphin kicking, so it's like under waters and then butterfly, you can do it above water. So that's just always kind of come naturally to me. So I just love it because I mean it doesn't feel easy but it's fun to me like I I enjoy, it feels good. Um and I love racing, so racing butterflies like perfect harmony. It's a good time though. Yeah it is. And and you know you see someone like Katie Ledecky, obviously she's A top name in swim and in team USA Olympics generally and she you know was 15 years old when she started her her rise to fame. So This being your first Olympics, you're being 17 years old. What are your hopes and aspirations? I am sure Paris is a somewhere you want to travel to in the next couple of years but generally being at this point in your career and hopefully just on your way up what what are some of the things that you were hoping, for thinking of planning to train for, what what's kind of on your mind for that? Well I think the more you swim, the more levels you discover there is. So I mean when I was younger I didn't know what a national group record is. Um and obviously now I know a little bit better. Um but you know I've been learning about World Championships pam packs all these different meats on non olympic years, so I'd love just to be able to have the opportunity to go to these world championships, these pam packed meats. Um just to not only gain experience, but just these trips are so much fun, I'd love to be able to do that. And then obviously, I mean, I'd hope to go for as many looking cycles as I can. I mean actually Twitchell is 30 something years old, She's an Olympian, which is crazy. So, I mean, I would love to be able to go that long and hopefully be able to train at that high of a level. Um, so hopefully for as long as I can, as long as I'm having fun, I'd love to keep hoping and jumping to the opposite end of that spectrum. I know you share a birthday with Michael Phelps, so maybe you've been destined to be a name star since you were born, but what was that moment when you decided that swim wasn't just this past time or this team that you were on, but it was a passion and it was something that you would pursue in this way and now being Olympian for. Um, I think at first, like choosing swimming, I was a little heartbroken, I did dance and swim. Um so obviously both sports, the more the older you get, the more you do, they become a big time commitment. So I could choose between the two and I try swimming because I mean, ever since I was young, I loved the water and I just love being in it. Um so I mean it was a little heartbreaking because I love dance so much. Um but I think it was a good decision um and I think so too, I don't know, it's just, I just, I just find the water relaxing and I just really enjoy it and the racing aspect of course, take advantage of. Um I think it's just kind of the perfect sport for me um and I'm glad I ended up doing that route. I'm impressed with how nice your hair looks after being in Florina all this time. I don't even know how your hair is in fried, but it looks so nice, so you manage well. Um and then obviously again you mentioned this, but traveling is a huge part of competing at this level. So how do you deal with times when it's a 13.5 time hour time difference and having to deal with jet lag or communicating with your family at on ours or any part of that huge travel aspect of competition. How do you stay in the right mind frame when you're literally traveling around the world across the globe to compete? Yeah. Um I think it definitely helps being with the team because you're all kind of working together and your training together, so obviously that pushes you, I mean, being in a pool with deck, you obviously want to swim fast. Um, but I think the staff does a great job. They actually plan little pit stops along the way. So we stopped in Hawaii, that was a six hour time difference for me. Um, so just to accelerate to that time and then we moved on to Japan after that time and then had a couple of days before the meeting started. Um, so I think they do a great job with just getting us to where we need to be to just train and acclimated and continue forward. Um, it definitely was a little, it was a little take and give for the facetime thing with my parents since it was completely opposite times the day, so I was going to bed, they were waking up. Um but I think once we kind of talked to that we figured out like two different times where we could talk. So it was, once you kind of do a little bit, you figure it out and I know you're a middle child. One thing, by the way, journalists are total soccer. So I know just a couple of things and you're like, oh, that's very personal information, but so your siblings, you know, you've got younger older, what was their experience, seeing their, their sister compete at this level and achieved so much this year. Um they're always the best. I mean they always make sure to keep me humble, which I'm very thankful for. Um but siblings are good about, they're very good at it. Um but I think, I don't know, I think I hope they're proud of me. I I enjoy just being able to carry our family name over there. Um My sister does get sick of swimming because I understand it's not the most fun thing to watch um but they've been great, I mean I come home and they have like posters made and everything and it's really sweet and I'm just really thankful to be able to have them and have their support. Yeah, I'm sure that's amazing. Um and kind of last question, but you already said the Katie that I keep calling your name, I know that winning your relay race and and competing that way, winning the silver medal, Everything. These are big moments, but what is your kind of favorite moment that you experienced these olympics that you'll take away from and you're like, God, like maybe maybe there's a couple, but what's one that comes to your mind? Um I think I couldn't pin it down to one experience. Um I think there's a couple experiences, but one that just kind of stand up for me that I thought was super cool. Um usa gives you pins to trade with other countries. So obviously like you deck out your own land, your because you have to carry around everywhere with us a pen. So the first time someone kind of came up to me it made kind of the whole experience real. He was from Algeria was a coach. He's like, hey, can I try your pin? And I was like, oh yeah, sure like, like take them. And it was like, I think I was just kind of eye opening because it's like I'm here, I'm in the olympic village and some man who I never normally meet just came up to me and kind of held a conversation with me. Um so I think that's what kind of made it real uh and just kind of got my mind set in the right place, just going into the rest of the games. I'm sure it's amazing to see all these athletes just wandering around and sharing the same food courts and parts and obviously this past year, past two years now kind of the covid umbrella and shadow. So how was dealing with that this past year and then staying again in the right mind frame and able to continue training as this all led up and I know things were shut down and even even in Tokyo weren't fans in the stands, your family couldn't be there. So what, what was that like for you personally, what were some positives, negatives of that factor? Um I think initially learning that the year was delayed was kind of a harder part um just because you do have your mindset on this time, like this set date. Um so you're like okay, we'll just push it back 365 days, um but I think once you kind of got over the fact like, okay, one more year of training, I think I really embrace that. I was like, okay, one more year to get better. Um I was able to train a lot of, I was able to turn the couple um friends in my neighborhood when quarantine shut everything down. So we did dry land all the time in north Carolina heat, which was lovely. So um yeah, so fun. Um I think then when the pool's kind of opened up, you were hungry to just kind of get back to training um just because you've been out for so long and being able to have my coach Bruce who had done, you know, the olympic whole preparation and gotten his former clear Donny here, Well, my coach um just having him and her be able to be there and talk to me about it and get me excited for it. I think that definitely helped. Um Honestly, for me, the hardest part was like four weeks before trials, like you, it seems so close yet so far and you're like, I just want to stop running like this is so hard. Um but I think you were just so excited that you just wanted to get there already and it was like, oh my goodness, you have so much longer. Um but I think, I don't know, it was just a whirlwind. It was, it was definitely a lot of hard work I put in um but I think it was good work.