University of Tennessee swimmer Summer Smith is home in Massachusetts recovering from health issues, she told SwimSwam on Tuesday.
Smith, who hasn’t raced for the Volunteers since October, says that she returned home while dealing with a “multitude of symptoms for an extended period of time.”
“I am home in MA and have been diagnosed with persistent concussion syndrome with vestibular and ocular components,” she told SwimSwam. The syndrome usually happens after an individual suffers multiple head injuries. Read more about the symptoms and science behind multiple concussion syndrome here – though like most syndromes, the condition is not well-defined and presents differently in different individuals.
“Recovery is going well,” Smith continued. “I can’t wait to return to be a Lady Vol as soon as I am cleared by my team of doctors.”
Smith declined to elaborate on where she might have received multiple concussions.
Smith was a highly-touted recruit out of high school, and as a freshman last season, she finished 22nd in the mile, 26th in the 400 IM, and 27th in the 500 free at the 2022 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships.
She also finished 6th in the 400 IM and 8th in the 200 fly at the 2022 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships.
She swam in just one meet for the Volunteers this season, touching 7th in the 200 fly in the team’s dual meet against NC State in October. Her only other pool meet since last year’s NCAA Championships was April’s Phillips 66 International Team Trials, where she was 13th in the 1500 free, 16th in the 200 back, and 19th in the 200 fly prelims.
Smith spent her summer focusing on open water, where she was a member of the US team for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. She qualified via a 5th-place finish in the 10km race at the US National Championships and finished 12th in the 5km at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The 2023 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships begin on Tuesday evening in College Station, Texas.
Summer and her family are some of the nicest people you will ever meet! She was also in the USA open water team last year. Looking forward to when she’s back with the Lady Vols
Summer is such a positive, kind person! I wish her continued success in recovery and hope she’s back in Knoxville crushing it soon.
Get well soon Summer! Can’t wait to have you back in orange.
I was told by someone she was redshirting for OW nats. I hope she is doing better and has a safe recovery!
That was apparently incorrect.
That is not entirely incorrect. Originally, she planned on focusing on OW nats, but then she began to have injuries. It was originally planned that she would take a redshirt but then things changed. -An outside source that is reliable. At least that’s what I got.
Surely she can redshirt after only one meet. Rathwell did the same.