International student-athlete makes big splash at Ohio

by Ryan Ernst
THE POST

Last season the Ohio women’s swimming and diving team won the Mid-American Conference – the only MAC crown won by a Bobcats squad.

Leading the charge for Ohio was MAC Swimmer of the Year Kim van Selm. As a sophomore, van Selm claimed three individual championships and competed on four of Ohio’s five championship relay teams.

Although van Selm has already accomplished many goals and has two more seasons in which to excel, her career at Ohio did not always look so promising. Van Selm is a native of South Africa and faced the same fears and reservations many international students face in their first weeks at a school far from home.

"I got here the week of international student orientation," van Selm said. "I must admit it was hard to be away from home.

"But I knew that the first three weeks were going to be hard from what other swimmers from back home who had left had told me."

Swimming and diving coach Greg Werner said he thinks van Selm’s perseverance and willingness to make the transition show what kind of character she possesses.

"I know it was extremely hard for her, and I don’t know too many students who don’t get homesick," he said. "But Kim is just mature beyond her years. She made the decision to come here, and she was focused."

Teammate Emily Bresser said it did not take long for van Selm to adapt to her new environment and become part of the team.

"She was a little quiet at first, a little homesick, but that’s understandable," she said. "After people got to know her, she fit in really well."

Van Selm said she picked Ohio because of the feeling she got from the team and coaches, which did not end once she got to campus.

"If it wasn’t for (my teammates) I wouldn’t have gotten through that tough time," she said. "They invited me into their homes for Christmas and Thanksgiving because I couldn’t go home. It was amazing."

Once van Selm got settled into her new surroundings, Bresser said she was amazed with her determination and work ethic.

"There are just so many things that make Kim a great swimmer," Bresser said. "She’s a very hard worker in and out of the water and has a great positive attitude. She has pretty much all of the necessities of swimming fast."

Werner said van Selm’s willingness to improve and work hard have benefited the entire team.

"She’s a coach’s dream," he said. "She takes constructive criticism very well and isn’t afraid to try new things.

"The things she’s done in the pool didn’t just happen. She works for it on a daily basis, and the rest of the team rises to that level."

This summer van Selm participated in the South Africa Olympic Trials. And although she set three African records, she did not qualify for the team.

"We have different criteria back home," van Selm said. "They give us qualifying times that you have to make, and I was off those times.

"I knew what I had to do going into the meet, and I knew when I touched the wall that I didn’t make it."

Van Selm said she has not decided whether she will try to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games.

"It’s still a long way away. Right now I’m just concentrating on continuing my collegiate career," she said. "I’ll go home after I graduate and then decide if I want to continue swimming or not."