March 2010 Alumnus of the Month

 

Betsy Mitchell 

  Betsy Mitchell’s passion for sports presented itself early in life. She started competitive swimming at the tender age of 5 and by the time she graduated from high school in ’83, she was recognized as one of the best backstrokers in the country.  

Winning the silver in the 100m backstroke and the gold in the 400m medley relay at the ’84 Olympics gave her momentum to break the world record in the 200m backstroke, a mark that stood for five years. Her list of successes in the pool is long and impressive, but after Betsy hung up her suit she still felt that nag to compete, so she started rowing and went on to make the 1994 Rowing World Championship Team. Betsy is loved and respected by many in the swimming world, proven by her 1998 induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. 

Today as the Athletic Director for Allegheny College, Betsy Mitchell is known as a passionate one-woman wonder in the world of collegiate sports, yet always available to mentor and encourage her aspiring athletes.  

If you had to single out one enduring moment from your swimming career, what would that be?

The moment of setting a world/American record is indescribable and unreplicateable. For that moment, when no one has ever been where you are currently, is such a natural high. For me in 1986, the 200 back swim, touching the wall, wearing a regular paper suit, dropping best time by 3 seconds to beat a proven steroid record was the moment I got good. The whole week at World Trials in Orlando, enjoying kicking butt in the 100 and 200 free style as well as 100 back was a once in a lifetime experience of really seeing it all come together.   

How do you define success?

It’s daily satisfaction with striving for and finding a consistent and constant positive attitude in my work and personal relationships. Not perfectionism, rather a constant improvement process.

Tell us something about you that most people wouldn’t know – something that might surprise people?    

In 1997, I took a trip to Africa and enjoyed the culture, animals, geography and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was wonderfully challenging and I am glad I did it when I did, as climate change is really evident there now. I highly recommend the trip.

Tell us about where you are today and what you see in your future.

As the Director of Athletics at Allegheny College, my life after swimming and coaching has been a wonderful progression of continuing my learning and influence on others through sports. I hope that I stay involved in sports administration in some capacity or another. I would like to work for the USOC or IOC and give back service at that level, much as I have given back to collegiate swimming now.  

What did you learn from your swimming experiences that prepared you for life post-swimming?

The iterative process, repetition and practice, toward productive change and performance of a skill are something that I do every day in multiple ways. It is the quintessential success skill. The self-discipline to keep working at something that is challenging is essential to personal satisfaction. Delaying gratification and success over time makes the attainment and achievement all the sweeter. 

What is your favorite swimming memory?

Let’s see, it could be being part of five consecutive national collegiate championships at University of Texas. No, what about winning the 200 IM at NCAAs in 1987? Perhaps it was representing our country on the National Team for 10 years.  Maybe the crazy night at a disco in Germany after a World Cup meet or the multiple recruiting trips? No, it had to be the gold and silver Olympic medals, or the World record. Okay, I got it…eating dry Jello at YMCA dual meets when I was 8.