December is shaping up to be a huge month for Kelsi Worrell, who set three American butterfly records at Short Course Worlds and will graduate and visit Israel all this month.
In her first season as a pro after stellar college career at Louisville, Worrell found time to catch up with SwimSwam this winter.
“It’s definitely a different feeling,” she said of swimming in the professional ranks. “I’ve had a lot of really cool opportunities do things like go to the World Cup, get to travel a little bit more. I’m learning a lot and enjoying it.”
In what Worrell said was one of her busiest travel seasons to date, the U.S. Olympian went from Singapore to Tokyo to Hong Kong on the World Cup in October, hit the U.S. College Challenge in Indianapolis in November, then traveled to Windsor, Canada for Short Course Worlds, which wraps up today. In between were USA Swimming’s Golden Goggle Awards in New York.
The World Cup in particular was a new experience for Worrell, who only had three short course meter swims on record with USA Swimming prior to tackling the last three stops of the 2016 World Cup Tour.
“I did the last three, and I give a lot of props to anyone who can do all 9,” Worrell said with a laugh. “It’s very exhausting. It’s mentally different than a lot of other meets I had done before.”
Worrell’s World Cup experience had another twist that’s not uncommon for American professional swimmers whose primary coaches are leading college programs. “I went by myself,” Worrell said. “I didn’t have a coach, so I was just learning based on feel, and making adjustments from session to session.”
Worrell said she traveled with Molly Hannis, another pro swimmer in a similar situation with the University of Tennessee. Worrell and Hannis were teammates on the U.S. Olympic team in Rio as well. (Shameless plug: we talked to Hannis back in July, and you can read that interview here.)
Even with no coach, Worrell says she gained enough from competing in the World Cup series that it will likely be a part of her meet schedule next season as well. “[Louisville coach] Arthur [Albiero] was like ‘next year, you’re gonna do all nine’, but I was like, ‘I don’t know about that!” Worrell laughed. “But I think it really is a lot of fun, and I do really love to race.”
The race experience has paid off this season, with Worrell breaking all three American butterfly records at Short Course Worlds this week. She won silver medals in the 50, 100 and 200 flys. Her transition from amateur NCAA star to full-fledged pro is complete with a number of sponsorships. She signed with TYR shortly after wrapping up her NCAA eligibility and has done some work with luggage and handbag design company Vera Bradley. And fittingly for Worrell, well-known for the large group of family members always present in the stands to support her, another sponsor has a home touch: Rich’s Micro Roast coffee, from Worrell’s old stomping grounds of Hainesport, New Jersey.
“They’re a great group of guys that have known my family for a long time,” Worrell said. “They just started this awesome company and wanted to support me. I love coffee, I believe in what they stand for, so I love working with them.” Worrell still appears on the front page of the Micro Roast website.
Moving forward, Worrell has some exciting plans for the coming month. Where many Olympians might celebrate their achievements with a break or a party, Worrell has something else entirely planned:
“I’m going to Israel after Christmas,” Worrell said. “It’s a study trip with church. I’m looking forward to some spiritual growth and some time away during that trip. It’s kind of like a graduation present to myself.” Worrell is set to finish up her undergrad degree this month, with Louisville’s commencement ceremony set for this coming Thursday.
Congratulations on a great year, Jelsi.
Now come back from Isreal refreshed and ready to begin racing in the Arena Pro a Series, then take of biz @ Indy (World Triala) then show Mmes. Sjostrom, Hosszu and Belmonte att Budapest that YOU — and not they — are the world’s No. 1 flyer!