Centre Swimmer had ‘lifetime experience’ Studying in France

Centre College swimmer Caroline Lee, left, with her sister, Amelia, in Paris with the Eiffel Tower behind them.

Junior Caroline Lee knew Centre College swim coach Dean Brownley was a “little upset” when she first told him she wanted to study abroad meaning she would miss the fall semester with the swim team.

“But Dean also wanted me to embrace the opportunity. He loves to have his swimmers all in one place. He is like a father figure to us all and I get that but he was supportive and excited about the opportunity I had,” said Lee, a former West Jessamine High School standout.

Centre swim teammates Henley Mason and Kendal Sommers also spent the fall semester in Strasbourg, France, with Lee.

Lee admits she was not able to do a lot of swimming during her 10 weeks in France when she missed the entire fall season.

“Centre has such great study abroad opportunities,” Lee said. “We went to class four days a week and then I could travel on weekends. I went to nine different countries. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.”

She loved visiting Switzerland and seeing glaciers and mountains in the fall when the leaves were changing colors.

“My mom and dad both studied abroad when they were in school and inspired me to do it. Going aboard was definitely more about the life experience than class requirements for my major but definitely was worth doing,” she said.

Swimming was next to impossible to do during her time overseas.

“It was hard to do any intense swimming workouts. I was only able to jump in the pool and swim once,” Lee said.  “I did get a gym membership (in France) and would go daily and do my weight workout and then run or bike. I tried to stay active even though I was not able to swim. I was so excited to be back (Dec. 7) and jump back in the water. Three months for me without swimming was a very long time.”

She had a brutal welcome back to the pool on Centre’s Florida December training trip.

“That is the hardest week of the year. But it let me get back with the team and get to know the freshmen,” Lee said. “The swimming was tough when I got back. You just can’t drop back and pick up where you left off. My teammates were super encouraging but with just a few weeks before conference I need to dial it up.”

Centre will host the Southern Athletic Association Championships Feb. 12-15

Lee normally competes in the 50-meter freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke along with whatever relays Brownley decides to use her in from meet to meet.

She believes she is a better swimmer now than she was in high school when she was a three-time most valuable swimmer for West Jessamine and state meet qualifier who finished third in the state in the 50 freestyle her senior year.

“My club team was talented and I am thankful I got to swim there and my siblings are still there,” Lee said. “Dean’s coaching has made me a better sprinter. I have improved my starts and turns. The weightlifting program here is targeted to your specific sport and that has helped me get better. The competition certainly has been more difficult but it is kind of cool to see the coming generations and how talented they are. It’s inspiring to see how hard they work and it pushes me to get better.”

Lee wanted a “smaller vibe” when she decided to attend Centre and knew Danville was a lot like her hometown of Nicholasville. Still, she wasn’t sure what to expect swimming-wise.

“I loved high school swimming but college has blown my high school experience literally out of the water,” Lee said. “And it’s really hard to beat that new pool we now have. I do think senior year I will be able to go faster. With the training we have and everyone on the team is super competitive. We really push each other. I would like to go out with a bang and make a memorable mark on Centre swimming my senior year.”

She would also like to make memories when Centre hosts the SAA Championships — normally held in Birmingham — for the first time.

“We are super excited to know we will be hosting. It’s going to be super fun having it on campus so classmates and other people can come support us and enjoy being part of the conference meet,” Lee said.