AUBURN, Ala. – The 2021-22 season is underway for Auburn swim and dive, and there are some new faces in the pool competing for the Tigers. Throughout the year, we will be introducing each of the newcomers with a Q&A
Next up in the series is Ellie Waldrep, a true freshman from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the summer. Waldrep has won the 100 backstroke in three of Auburn's four meets this season, including the GT Fall Invite.
Q: What is your major?
Waldrep: I am an interior design major. My dad is a contractor, and my mom works alongside him. They started and own their own business, so I have always grown up around the process of building a house. I like to think practically, three-dimensionally, so I love the thought process of throwing things together.
Q: Why did you choose Auburn?
Waldrep: I have a little bit of an Auburn background; I have some deeply rooted Auburn fans in the family. It was always in the back of my mind and when I was younger, it was my dream school. I really wanted to swim here. As I got older, I thought I was going to go West Coast as the opportunity presented itself, but coming back through recruiting, I fell in love with Auburn all over again and just knew right away it's the place I can't say no to. From a school standpoint alone, I love the environment and the campus. I loved how friendly everyone was. And everyone talks about the Auburn family, but it's real and you can feel it. I love that sense of connection and it might seem super streamline, but when you see dogs and families walking around campus with babies, you know it's a good thing. From an athletics standpoint, you are presented with so many opportunities it's insane. So many things you didn't know you wanted or needed were presented to you on the table – training facilities, staff members, tutors, the facilities you are provided with like SADC – it's insane.
Q: What is your favorite spot to hang out on campus?
Waldrep: I am a little biased, but I love the pool. I love the outdoor pool. Swimming out there at 6 a.m. makes it so much more worth it when you are swimming under a sunrise. It's worth it being with the team in general, but sometimes you just need a pretty view – and I'm a backstroker, too. There is always the stereotypical Samford Lawn, Catherine Cooper Cater Hall, the Honors College – there are so many places. Like I said with athletics you are presented with so many opportunities, but you are as a student as well. This might sound weird, but they provide you with so many tables around campus, so many places to just sit down and enjoy yourself under a tree or on a patio. It really just depends on the day.
Q: What was it about the coaches and staff and program that appealed to you?
Waldrep: I actually came in under the last coaching staff, but the new coaches have fantastic resumes and are all super close. They are all super nice and super supportive. They are all knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic. It blows my mind they get so excited, so I love that. Coach Ryan (Wochomurka) is an alumnus, so he knows what it is like to swim here and be a part of the Auburn family and to have him help us pursue that every day is fantastic.
Q: How do you see yourself impacting this team?
Waldrep: From a teammate standpoint, I see myself as a people person so I love working with people and supporting people. So, to be on a team that is vocal and enthusiastic and caring, it's home to me. It's familiar and it is easy to be all in when others reflect that energy. We sat down and had a meeting at the beginning of the year where we laid out our goals and a lot of the feedback we received as teammates was to just be there for each other, be your best self and in turn, help us be our best selves. From a times standpoint, I contribute as best I can. I give my all in every opportunity that we are given.
Q: How did you get started in the pool?
Waldrep: I have always been around water. It came very naturally to me, but I refused to swim for the longest time. My mom was a swimmer, but she never pressed it on me. So I tried out karate, I did ballet for a little bit, I did cheer, I did softball. I thought I was going to be a softball player and then when I was 8, my mom was like, 'OK, we're going to go and try this out.' She had it all set up with our local summer league coach. Like, 'Ellie is going to go for a week, just to try it out.' I went for a single practice and was like, 'Can I stay?' I immediately turned around and wanted to quit softball, and my mom was like, 'You are not a quitter. You have to finish the season. But you can do both at the same time.'
Q: What sport would you play if you did not swim?
Waldrep: Honestly, in the best way possible, I don't think I would be an athlete. I used to sing all the time. I love the arts, music, musical theater, so I definitely think I would be involved in theater. It is one thing I just didn't have enough time for.
Q: What was the best piece of advice you were given? Why did it stick with you?
Waldrep: My last coach that I had for five years, he was a man of few words. I used to overthink a lot. You train so much your body knows what to do, but when it comes time to do anything – this could be in the water for swimming or it could be taking a test – at the end of the day, you know what to do and you just have to trust yourself. That is something I tell myself all the time. One of the last things my coach said to me when I walked into the ready room at Olympic Trials was, 'You know what to do,' and just turned around and walked away.
Q: What was it like competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials this past summer?
Waldrep: It was a dream, it really was. You grow up watching it and it is so surreal, and as you get older and start competing at the higher-level meets – like Nationals and U.S. Open and everything beforehand – it was Olympic Trials, but at the same time you know what to do and you have done it before. And I had raced with so many of those people before. So really the bizarre thing was the lights and the cameras. Never in my life have I swum a race, been in the middle of the pool and seen myself on the jumbotron of what was a basketball stadium that was converted into a pool while I'm swimming. That was insane, but it was a really cool experience.
Q: Do you have any pre-meet rituals?
Waldrep: When you go to a big meet, you wake up early in the morning and you go to warm-ups. Then you go to prelims and then you have a break and then you do finals. My one big thing is I am always sleeping up to my session. Whether it is in the morning – you wake up, take a hot shower, I usually eat something small, and then I go and swim. But it's the same in the afternoon – nap, wake up, hot shower, eat, swim.
Q: What are some of your favorite movies or TV shows?
Waldrep: This has been a favorite since I was young, Fried Green Tomatoes.
Q: What is your favorite snack?
Waldrep: I am a sucker for Cheez-Its. I usually just go for the regular.