INTRODUCTION: If you want to succeed as a backstroke swimmer, you must take advantage of your time 'under water', kicking off the end of the pool to propel yourself as far as possible. Then emerge and spin onto your back. The swimmer must be able to read the backstroke flags. They dictate your position as you get close to the wall. As a first-year in 2020, Chris Bushnell swam a :52.24 at the UAA Championships. That's the fourth quickest time in school history for the event. He talks about that and how he became interested in swimming in the article below.

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When did you first become involved in swimming?
When I was five years old my mom threw me in my first club team to get the energy out of me. Immediately after practice I would fall asleep in my booster seat on the ride home. I learned to appreciate the hard work in practices and loved racing in meets. From there I just stuck with it and am very fortunate to swim with a great collegiate team.
 
What attracted you to it?
From a young age I loved splashing around in the water. At the local community rec pool, bigger kids would use the diving board. To qualify to use it you had to swim one length of the pool under lifeguard supervision. I successfully completed the task at age four but because I was "too winded", didn't pass! This led to a strong determination to practice my swimming so I could finally go off of the diving board. Little did I know that it would also lead to many more years of practice.
 
At the University, your time in the 100-yard backstroke is the fourth best in school history. Is that a tough event to master?
It is a tricky event because there is so much emphasis on the "underwaters" in short course yard backstroke. Swimmers are often fastest under the surface of the water so the idea is to propel yourself the farthest distance allowed off each wall (15 m). This is especially difficult because you obviously have to hold your breath. It's like doing a 40-yard dash but without breathing, turning on a dime and doing it again. Every swimmer can work on this and it's something that I try to emphasize in my own training.
 
You are swimming that event without looking in front of you. How do you track your progress, especially on the three legs where you have to hit the wall and reverse your direction?
Backstroke flags are super useful. They are strung across the pool 5 yards away from the wall. Swimmers practice with the flags set up so we learn when to flip. When I push off of the wall I count my underwater kicks to better gauge where I am in relation to the 15 m mark while underwater. This is important because passing that mark will result in disqualification.
 
You swam on three relays. What's going through your mind as you stand on the block waiting for your leg?
When I'm on the block watching my teammate swim into the wall, I don't think about much other than my start and swimming fast. It's definitely hard to think when two guys in the relay team are yelling at you, and the fourth in the water, to go faster and leave it all in the pool. There's nothing like a relay squad to get you fired up for your leg.
 
In high school, you played golf in addition to swimming. Was that a challenging transition to make from season to season?
This was a pretty easy transition from season to season however swimming is year-round for me and I had to golf and swim on the same days during the fall. This just required a little more time management than the rest of the year but I'm glad I could balance that and schoolwork well.
 
At Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, you were a member of the Peer to Peer Mentoring Group. What did you do?
A couple friends and I noticed a need at CBA to connect juniors and seniors with 7^th and 8^th graders. Being in a new school can be challenging and who better to help guide them than those who are successful upperclassmen. We co-founded Peer to Peer Mentoring as a way to build relationships between under and upperclassmen. Group based meetings consisted of movies, games, crafts, and snacks. We also encouraged mentors and mentees to meet at school to promote their buddy relationship and for the mentor to be more approachable for any needs that the mentee might have.
 
When you are home, do you work with any youth programs – coaching, counselling, serving as an official or a timer?
I don't currently work with any youth programs.
 
What led you to the University of Rochester?
University of Rochester caught my attention through a representative that came to my school. I reached out to Coach Emily Wylam and Assistant Coach Cam Dwyer regarding the swim program. They were very helpful in answering my questions as well as connecting me to other students to further discuss the swim program and school character. The biggest thing for me was seeing campus in person and eating in the dining hall. We have some very good food and super friendly dining hall staff. I went on a recruit trip to campus and had a great time meeting the team. It was easy to seriously consider Rochester with its academic reputation, stately library and active campus. I'm very happy and fortunate to study here at U of R.
 
Why did you choose Microbiology as your major?
I chose Microbiology as my major because I am very interested in natural processes. This course load is challenging and interesting to me. It is also very applicable given the current pandemic and I find that it will benefit me in my future career paths as well as my own enjoyment.
 
Are you involved in any campus groups tied to your studies?
I am involved in the Charles Drew Pre-Health Society as a member and as Secretary on the Exec Board. This group offers seminars, community outreach and service as well as mentorship among members to raise awareness of health issues and health related professions around the U of R campus. I am also involved as a Captain on the Saint Sebastian Society which focuses on community outreach and organizing philanthropic events on campus. Additionally, I am a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. As a Pre-Med student, these organizations focus on important values to me: outreach, education and service back to my campus community.