Catching Up With Sophomore Diver Tess Weiskopf
3/25/2020 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
Sophomore Tess Weiskopf (Exercise Science/Clifton Park, N.Y.) gives YSUsports.com an update in this Q&A session.
What is your current location?
I'm currently at home in New York.
How are you keeping your mind on swimming?
Now that everything is closed and I can't get into the pool so it's hard to stay focused. I just try to think about next season and how what I'm doing now will affect my performance next year. The most we can do is try to stay in shape and focus on what we can control vs. what we can't.
What are you doing to stay in shape (working out, running)?
For me, I don't have workout equipment at home so the best I can do is body weight exercises and cardio, which still include quite a bit of stuff. It's nice having my sister home as well because we keep each other motivated. We try to go on runs with each other as much as we can, and it can get a little competitive.
How have you looked at things differently in the past two weeks?
The past few weeks have given me and my teammates a lot of time to reflect. I think for us were sad because we've all gotten so used to being around each other and ultimately have become a family and now we're all forced to go home. We're not used to being apart and, I can't speak for everyone but I can say personally that I hate it. I don't enjoy being isolated. It's boring and hard to keep yourself motivated. With all that being said, I know that this is for the better. I understand that I may not personally be affected by the virus, but by staying home I can help keep a lot of people safe from it who are more at risk than I am. I can understand where people get mad about the circumstances, but being able to look past how I'm personally affected helps to better understand how this is the only way to slow the spread and keep people safe.
What is going to be the toughest thing about not physically going to class?
The toughest thing about not physically going to classes will be having the motivation to get out of bed. In all honesty, I'm probably going to end up doing all my work sitting in bed on my laptop.
How has dealing with the current circumstances brought your team together?
I think for the most part we have a pretty close team already. It's funny actually, right before I started answering these questions I was on Facetime with a few of them. We are all talking constantly and are always checking in with each other to make sure everyone's safe and doing okay. I know we all can't wait to get back to school. It's not the same without seeing everyone face to face.
What makes you most excited for next year?
The thing that makes me most excited for next year is being back in the pool. We have quite a few freshmen coming in next year with such amazing talent. I'm really excited to meet everyone and see how the team bounces back from such a tough time.
What do you enjoy the most about being at YSU?
The thing I enjoy most about being at YSU is the community. I couldn't make it through without my teammates and the coaching staff. They have all turned into a second family. Not only that, but everyone else who works with our team makes our lives a thousand times better. I couldn't ask for a better group of people.
How often do you FaceTime your teammates? What do you guys talk about?
Like I said in an earlier question, I actually just got off the phone with a bunch of them. We talked about setting up weekly Facetime chats. Even when were not on Facetime we're all texting and updating everyone on our lives. Half the time were not even talking about anything important, we just like to have communication.
Have you learned anything about yourself during this?
I think what I've learned is I need some sort of structure in my life. I like that I have a schedule to follow every day to keep me responsible for everything. A lot of my online classes right now I don't have to call in so it might be easy to fall behind. I think the best thing for me is to do all my work for my classes during the normal time that I have those classes and then workout when my practice normally is so that i can stay on a similar schedule to what it used to be. I learned that that is going to keep me on track the most.
If you weren't a diver, what sport would you like to do?
I used to do gymnastics, but due to injuries I switched over to diving. I loved the sport so if I wasn't diving I would probably be doing gymnastics.
Who is the funniest person on the team? Jamie for the women and Jackson for the men. Whenever we're with them, we're all laughing the whole time.
Who is the smartest person on the team? We all are smart in our own ways. I think everyone brings something to the table, but Zach is a genius. He always helps out with homework if anyone needs it.
Who is the toughest person on the team? There's no doubt in my mind that right now Elizabeth (Wompey) is the toughest one on the team. She has a lot going on right now and is going to be going through a lot for a long time and she is pushing through that and fighting like a champion.
Published March 25, 2020
