Brooke Bennett, 3-time Olympic gold medalist, officially announced her comeback in open water swimming for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio late last year. Today she’s sharing a very personal turn in that journey. Below is a letter from the Olympic champion.
Brooke and Jeremy, happy to be parents soon!
A wise man once told me…
“Tell god you have life under control and listen to him laugh.”
Entering 2014 I was ready for my transition from sports broadcasting to full time training for my Olympic comeback at Rio 2016. Fresh off my engagement to my big squeeze Jeremy I had a wedding to plan, which brings some frustration, but overall is fun. With the wedding date not until February of 2015 I had plenty of time. To add to my list I’ve taken on the task of bringing my own open water swim here to the Tampa bay area (details to come very soon). Jeremy took over a struggling football program in January and has spent every waking moment dedicated to building the program, which he loves.
Life seemed to be completely under control and rolling… that’s when I saw the 2 pink lines that will change any person’s life. That’s right folks; I’m going to be a mommy. What better timing then when I’m planning a wedding, organizing a huge event, and — oh yeah! — training for an Olympic comeback at my age (34)!
Little “Beany” (the little one’s current name) probably couldn’t have picked a more inconvenient time to show up, however all of the parents I know had the same thing to say, “there is never a perfect time to have a kid!”
Brooke Bennett, baby bump at 14 weeks (but she’s 15 weeks now).
Although the timing is not ideal, the situation is. Jeremy and I are so blessed not only have each other but to have an amazing family and a great support group of friends. My trainers and coaches are behind me and still totally agree that the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio is doable. But that doesn’t mean training has been easy. As many expecting moms will say the first trimester can be a doozy. Struck with morning sickness, all day sickness, I had to keep hoping for brighter days but if you know me well you know that there is no obstacle that can get between me and my goals. Now into my second trimester things are getting a little easier and my workouts are now back on target. I listen to my body and pay close attention to my heart rate. Everything has been two-thumbs up for my doctor.
“Beany” will end up being the most amazing blessing of my life. Jeremy is going to make a great father and is already showing it by doing everything I ask and dealing with me in my state of sickness and hormonal mood swings, Team HIPPO is expanding by one and I couldn’t be any more excited.
I promise to take these next “growing” months as a learning experience not only to myself but to my fan base by keeping a detailed journal to provide my fans continuous updates on this life changing experience.
Thank you so much to all my fans and supporters as I enter the newest and biggest journey of my life, being a mommy!
NOTE: Brooke turns 34 today. Wish her happy birthday and well wishes at her Facebook page here.
Follow Brooke Bennett on this personal journey at her website here.
Follow Brooke Bennett on Twitter here.
More power to you, if you want to give elite swimming another go. But if you think morning sickness is debilitating, or that wedding planning is time consuming, buckle up! You’re in for a bumpy ride.
CraigH and Gold Medal Mel Stewart-
I think the point “My Opinion” is making is that Brooke is implying she is at the National and Olympic level in the 10K when she has never even swum a 10K at that level, let alone made the cut to swim the 10K at Nationals. So it really is a stretch and sort of belittles the current level swimmers for her to be stating that she is even a candidate.
I found the negative comment so “old school.” I was at trials and thought Janet swimming was terrific. What a great example for our sport. As a coach I am thrilled that swimmers are staying in competition longer. Serena Williams is around the same age. Should she quit tennis and “get on with her life?” Loving our sport and enjoying competition emphasizes all the great things about it. If you watched the Winter Olympics many of the Nordic champions are much older than Brooke. I wish I had made the effort to stay in swimming shape as an adult. You go girl!
I noticed very shortened strokes in almost all of them … was this normal in women swimming in 2000?
27 cycles on that last 50. That’s outrageous… I think it was more common for both sexes, I notice it in women more often than men still. Her stroke is almost meat hook (a la Bousquet) it seems when you look underwater. Pack a million yards in and it allows for your huge energy output.
Bennett was a great swimmer. But I was just looking into it and she has not even qualified for nationals. I feel this “comeback” talk is a little premature.
I suspect the training for distance swimming at that age is more than most bargain for (re: Janet Evans).
Who on earth would vote thumbs down on this post? I think she (Francene) mostly stated facts and wasn’t like some others who were questioning whether Brooke should be swimming.
I agree that the comeback talk maybe should wait until Brooke has at least qualified for nationals. Seems pretty reasonable to me.
I feel like this is unbelievably selfish of her. First of all move on with your life, your swimming is done, yes you were successful but do something else with your life. Is your life so boring and incomplete you need to once again go to the Olympics? And let’s be honest the chances of you making it are less than slim to none (so what you just feel like you need attention again? Let the swimmers who are swimming fast and not living off their past get some attention and sponsors)
You’re having a kid, be a mom, why do you need to be a swimmer again? Get over yourself.
But congrats on the pregnancy, be a good mom.
Dude, calm down. If she things she can be her best/the best, let her give it her all. Swimming is about the fastest swimmer. Period. I for one hope she can be that person, and if she can’t, hopefully she will at least learn something from the journey.
Other distance oriented sports (i.e. marathon running, cycling, etc) seem to peak in their mid-30s. Open water is a different beast that pool-swimming and is closer to these other distance sports than even the 1500. Many perennial open water champs, such as Angela Maurer, Thomas Lurz, Poliana Okimoto, etc., are all well into their 30s. I don’t see why she wouldn’t be able to compete as well. What she needs, though,… Read more »
While the “In My Opinion” comment was a bit harsh – it does point out something that is becoming endemic to swimming. Swimming is a wonderful sport, and when put into the correct perspective – it puts you in a great position for the rest of your life. Brooke accomplished so many great things as a swimmer and used them to propel her forward in her life beyond swimming. She became a sports broadcaster and seemed to be very successful!
It saddens me that former swimmers who had great success continue to turn back to the sport instead of utilizing the skills acquired during their many years of hard training to promote the sport by proving that you can move… Read more »
Olive Garden Lover:
Let me guess, you love the Olive Garden!
Do you not know the value of working out and staying in shape in this world of obesity? Do you not know the value of having a passion in your life? It is the biggest most valuable thing you can have. I’m sorry there is no money in the world that can pay for good health or passions in life. There is more to life than being a slave to the job market and certainly more value to life than the all you can eat breadsticks and salad at Olive Garden. And clearly you, Olive Garden Lover, do not know the value of this. I commend Brooke for… Read more »
…it is this old way of thinking, limited way of thinking (from the negative comment above – under MY OPINION) that drives me crazy. If Brooke can perform and be a mother, more power to her. If she’s merely an elite, and doesn’t make the Olympics, more power to her. She’s doing it in open water, a different sport really. Long distance athletes perform better in their 30s anyway. And what’s this about “if you’re life’s so boring you need to once again go to the Olympics?” Clearly you have never been to the Olympics, experienced it, felt the elation and connection to athletes attending from around the world and/or the rush of competing head-to-head with the best of the… Read more »
Hear hear……I see Brooke workout on a daily basis. Not many of you can say this, and unless you can say this……you really do not know what you are talking about. Thanks Mel, may our older athletes like you and Brooke continue to challenge yourself and others for many more years to come
CraigH and Gold Medal Mel Stewart-
I think the point “My Opinion” is making is that Brooke is implying she is at the National and Olympic level in the 10K when she has never even swum a 10K at that level, let alone made the cut to swim the 10K at Nationals. So it really is a stretch and sort of belittles the current level swimmers for her to be stating that she is even a candidate.
Dara Torres has created a paradigm shift in attitudes about the age of peak performance in sports in general, and in swimming more specifically. Back in my heyday (late 70s) it was “known” that female swimmers peaked in high school and the ages of competitors at the Olympics “proved” that we were right. It hardly occurred to most people back then that it was only because we were moving on in our lives and dedicating less time to our sport that our performances declined. I thought Dara’s performances were incredibly inspiring and huge numbers of others felt that too. I cheered on Janet Evans’ efforts and I wish Brooke the best of luck.
Ever since Dara’s amazing comeback, whenever… Read more »
@Catherine: Maybe she will be in the mix, maybe she won’t, but she certainly hasn’t shown anything yet to indicate she can stay with the top women in the world in a 10K. Until she has proven that she can do that, she ain’t in the mix. Just like everyone else who isn’t already there, she’s a no one right now. What she did in an earlier life, in the pool, in significantly shorter events might be related but certainly is no proof at all of being able to swim a 10K the way it is swum now on the women’s side (especially the American women).
I’d have to agree with Notch that she is belittling the event. Probably not… Read more »
Good thing open water doesn’t have flip turns, I hear its a little rough with a huge belly!
The imbedded Olympic race video is a great touch. SwimSwam should do that more!
Wait a minute, too early in the morning, that video was from Bobo! Thanks Bobo!