In only a few days, Texas alumni swimmer Carson Foster will swim in Paris in the 200 and 400m individual medley as a first-time Olympian.
But, it was only a few years ago when Foster was at the lowest point in his career.
“(The) 2021 Trials was probably the hardest week of my life — definitely the hardest swim meet in my life,” Foster said. “The lowest point I’ve ever been in the sport, where I was just questioning, ‘Do I actually like this?’”
Training his entire life to make the Olympics only to fall short in the final moment was a tough blow to Foster’s confidence. He started first in the IM, only to have the Olympic spot taken away from him in the last 50 meters by Olympic silver medalist Max Litchfield.
“I felt like so much of my self-worth was in it, so I was like this isn’t fun,” Foster said. “I can’t actually enjoy this when I know my self-worth is on the line if I don’t swim well.”
However, changing his perspective on swimming helped Foster get past the mental barrier and swim the way he wanted to.
“Going back in the last three years and really focusing on my mental preparation and perspective in the sport,” Foster said. “(Telling myself) ‘This is something I get to do, this isn’t something I have to do.’”
After three years of training and relying on his coaches and family to help him push past his mental barriers, Foster gets to go to the Olympics.
Foster put up a dominant performance at the 2024 Olympic Trials in the 400 IM, touching first at every wall and recording the No. 1 fastest 400 IM time in the world this year at 4:07.64.
“Before the race I was nervous, I mean it was my first race at Trials,” Foster said. “That first race at a taper meet is always kind of scary … and 400 IM is not an easy event, especially to get started with.”
The 400 IM is a brutal race, requiring tons of physical and mental strength. Swimmers have to push through four different sprints: 100-meter butterfly, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, and 100 freestyle.
For Foster, however, the hardest part of the race is not worrying about what other swimmers are doing.
“It’s always been hard for me to stay in my own lane and execute my strategy,” Foster said. “That was the biggest goal for me, way more than time goals or place goals. Just execute the way I want to and I can live with what happens.”
His race strategy was built around his strengths in the water.
“Continue just to attack my strengths, fly and back, really push the breaststroke because that’s my weak stroke,” Foster said. “I feel like I am one of the best freestylers in the world and so just rely on that strength coming home.”
When he touched the wall, Foster was overcome with emotion. The past three years had been a mental rollercoaster, but he made it to the Olympics while focusing on his own race.
“It’s been an incredible journey and (former head coach Eddie Reese) and (associate head coach Wyatt Collins) have been the biggest reasons for that along with my family,” Foster said. “I’m just so happy to be on this journey.”
