Laura Swander's family name is synonymous with swimming in Indiana. It isn't much surprise she's making her living in the sport.
The surprise is it came with a dash of modeling, too.
"I would love it if it (continued)," said the former Center Grove High School standout. "If they want me, I'm wide open."
Swander swam collegiately at Auburn and now is a product tester for Tyr, which produces competitive swimwear and equipment. She will represent the company during next week's U.S. National Championships at the Natatorium at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
She can be seen on its home page (http://www.tyr.com/) modeling a blue, one-piece suit. That wasn't supposed to be part of her job duties.
"It was kind of a last-minute decision," she said. "We had one of our athletes get sick, and she couldn't make the photo shoot until the next day. I had to fill in."
Added her mother, IU assistant swimming coach Pam Swander: "I think deep down inside, she really likes that stuff."
The younger Swander returned to the Indianapolis area after graduating from Auburn in 2005 and worked in real estate for one year.
But her heart was still in the water, even though her competitive swimming days had ended nearly two years earlier. She headed West when Tyr founder and vice president, Steve Furniss, offered her a position with the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based company.
"It was a little bit of culture shock when I moved out here, with all the surfers and the laid-back, Southern California lifestyle," she said. "But so was Auburn. People talked slow, walked slow in the Deep South. It really wasn't that much different."
Pam Swander said her daughter is doing almost exactly what Mom envisioned.
"Ever since she was a little girl, she's enjoyed art and design," Pam Swander said. "She wanted to redo her room when she was very young, and we just let her go with it. She always had that creative side, and we tried to foster it."
Laura Swander tests products for the company to help gauge how consumers might react to them. She said it's a perfect combination for someone who competed at a high level and has a bachelor's degree in industrial design.
"I was going down a track in real estate where I could see myself having a future," she said. "But the chance to get back in the swimming world, something I've lived and breathed for the last 20 years, and to combine that with my degree, was kind of something I had to do."
Swander won two state titles in the 100 breast stroke while at Center Grove, setting the state record with a time of 1:01.98 in 2000. (Current Center Grove standout Michelle McKeehan broke the record this year.)
She twice swam in the U.S. Olympic Trials and retired from competitive swimming in 2004.
Swander said she misses the competition but isn't missing the training regimen and early-morning practices.
Next week will be a reunion of sorts with younger brother Kevin, who swam at IU and finished second in the 100 breast stroke at the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. He's since graduated and is training for the 2008 Olympic Trials.
And yes -- he will be wearing a Tyr suit next week.
"There's still things I wish I had done differently and times I would have focused a little more during my career, but it's getting easier every day," Laura said. "The place I'm in now, it's hard to complain. My swimming career really did get me to this place."
"I would love it if it (continued)," said the former Center Grove High School standout. "If they want me, I'm wide open."
Swander swam collegiately at Auburn and now is a product tester for Tyr, which produces competitive swimwear and equipment. She will represent the company during next week's U.S. National Championships at the Natatorium at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
She can be seen on its home page (http://www.tyr.com/) modeling a blue, one-piece suit. That wasn't supposed to be part of her job duties.
"It was kind of a last-minute decision," she said. "We had one of our athletes get sick, and she couldn't make the photo shoot until the next day. I had to fill in."
Added her mother, IU assistant swimming coach Pam Swander: "I think deep down inside, she really likes that stuff."
The younger Swander returned to the Indianapolis area after graduating from Auburn in 2005 and worked in real estate for one year.
But her heart was still in the water, even though her competitive swimming days had ended nearly two years earlier. She headed West when Tyr founder and vice president, Steve Furniss, offered her a position with the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based company.
"It was a little bit of culture shock when I moved out here, with all the surfers and the laid-back, Southern California lifestyle," she said. "But so was Auburn. People talked slow, walked slow in the Deep South. It really wasn't that much different."
Pam Swander said her daughter is doing almost exactly what Mom envisioned.
"Ever since she was a little girl, she's enjoyed art and design," Pam Swander said. "She wanted to redo her room when she was very young, and we just let her go with it. She always had that creative side, and we tried to foster it."
Laura Swander tests products for the company to help gauge how consumers might react to them. She said it's a perfect combination for someone who competed at a high level and has a bachelor's degree in industrial design.
"I was going down a track in real estate where I could see myself having a future," she said. "But the chance to get back in the swimming world, something I've lived and breathed for the last 20 years, and to combine that with my degree, was kind of something I had to do."
Swander won two state titles in the 100 breast stroke while at Center Grove, setting the state record with a time of 1:01.98 in 2000. (Current Center Grove standout Michelle McKeehan broke the record this year.)
She twice swam in the U.S. Olympic Trials and retired from competitive swimming in 2004.
Swander said she misses the competition but isn't missing the training regimen and early-morning practices.
Next week will be a reunion of sorts with younger brother Kevin, who swam at IU and finished second in the 100 breast stroke at the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. He's since graduated and is training for the 2008 Olympic Trials.
And yes -- he will be wearing a Tyr suit next week.
"There's still things I wish I had done differently and times I would have focused a little more during my career, but it's getting easier every day," Laura said. "The place I'm in now, it's hard to complain. My swimming career really did get me to this place."
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