Blake Worsley qualified for the Canadian Team for Barcelona in the 200 freestyle (1:48.80) and the 4 x 200 freestyle relay at last weekend’s Canadian World Championship Trials and he was kind enough to answer some questions for SwimSwam.
How does it feel to make the world championships team?
Making the World Championships team feels wonderful. The first team I ever made was this team four years ago, and it is nice to look back and see where my career has taken me in the last four years. I haven’t been truly excited about swimming in a long time and surprising myself with that swim in the 200 free reinvigorated my passion for the sport. It is a different feeling coming into the meet as a veteran now, and I look forward to meeting and mentoring some of the younger swimmers on the team through the whole experience.
What did you learn from your Olympic experience that you think will help you in Barcelona
I finally understand how to get my body and mind to working together in unison. It may sound like a simple concept, but it was only last year when I began understand how my mental state influences my races and where I need to be physically to perform at an optimal level. It has been a truly humbling experience. I am at the point in my career where I can use my experience to my advantage and get performances out of myself that would have been otherwise impossible when I was younger.
How are you enjoying life in Toronto?
I am loving Toronto! It is always difficult to move to a new place and make a whole new network of friends, but I am adapting quickly. There is so much to do and a lot to see. As everyone there has been telling me, the summers are supposedly beautiful. I hope so because winter was COLD!
What is the best thing about living in Toronto?
The best thing about living in Toronto is living in a big city and having everything you could ever need or want within walking distance.
How has your training changed now that you are training with Ben Titley?
Ben has opened my eyes to the world of sprinting. I took some time off in the fall and got back into swimming a full schedule in January. I have been doing a lot of work in the weight-room and I have seen some good gains in the past few months. His positive attitude and outlook have been monumental in building my confidence and mental fortitude. A happy swimmer is a fast swimmer!
What are your goals for Barcelona?
My goal for Barcelona is to perform faster than I ever have. I have set so many goals in my life and I have decided rather than make a time based goal, I will make my goal to execute the best race I can with what I have on the day. It may be simple, but I think it will be effective. I would also like to bring the team together and get some of the younger guys excited about their potential to be the next great swimmers for Canada.