Athlete Profile

By Spence Lassalle

JO Overholtzer

JO Overholtzer (18) is a senior here at SM West and he is a very talented and athletic person. He spends a lot of time under water in the on the swim team. I asked JO a couple questions about himself and his talents.

SL: So you play sports?

JO: I swim on the swim team.

SL: Do you have any talents?

JO: Guess you could say singing is sort of a talent of sorts.

SL: Awesome, how long have you done swimming?

JO: I’ve been swimming competitively since 2nd or 3rd grade.

SL: What made you want to do swimming?

JO: I decided to do swimming in high school to meet friends and compete at the high school to meet friends and compete at the high school level, and I’m really glad I did it it.

SL: Do you have any awards for swimming?

JO: I don’t have any awards really, but I’ve been captain since sophomore year.

SL: Do you have a role model or hero?

JO: I definitely love to watch Michael Phelps swim. He’s a role model.

SL: Do you have a quote or something you would say to somebody who wants to be on the swim team?

JO: Definitely try it out, it’s fun and everybody knows how to have a good time and it’s a great way to get involved in a sport that’s both fun and challenging.

SL: How often do you swim a week?

JO: Swim team practice is 5 days a week after school and we usually have a Saturday morning practice.

SL: Do you find swim challenging?

JO: Oh yeah. Practices are rough and you’re always sore, but doing well in meets is fun and so is getting in good shape.

SL: Have you ever thought about quitting swim team?

JO: No, I enjoy it too much and all my friends are on it and i wouldn’t want to leave them.

SL: Have you encouraged anyone to be on swim team?

JO: Yeah! We’re always telling younger guys to come out and swim even if they aren’t good. We have some guys who brought their younger brothers on and everyone has fun.

SL: What will you miss most about the swim team when you graduate?

JO: Just being able to hang out with all my friends at practice and the competition. It will be hard to move on from all of it.

SL: All time favorite part of swim team?

JO: The camaraderie between all of us and the memories we’ve all made.