...I always find that after a hard practice I feel very satisfied knowing that I gave 100 percent.
Name: Owen Kennedy
Class Year: 2023
Major: Health and human kinetics
How/Why did you choose Ohio Wesleyan?
I liked the idea of a smaller campus and after meeting with and talking to coach (Richard) Hawes and already knowing some of the team, I really felt like this was where I wanted to go and that this was the best place for me to succeed.
How/why did you choose your major?
I have been interested in training and exercising my entire life and I view it as a very big part of who I am. Ever since I chose my major I have been very happy to be in the classroom learning about something I really enjoy.
Why did you choose to compete in sports at Ohio Wesleyan?
I really enjoy competition and having a set of goals to strive for as well as something outside of academics to help me meet people and, most importantly, make friends with the people on campus and get to know them better.
What are your strengths as an athlete?
I like to believe my strengths as an athlete come from my appreciation for challenges and my love to compete. Sometimes if I'm having a hard day or a tough week I find that if I get outside and do something physically challenging that it greatly helps me. So even though in the moment when Richard has us doing a hard set in the pool it might be really tiring, but no matter what I always find that after a hard practice I feel very satisfied knowing that I gave 100 percent. That leads me to embrace the hard practices more, and I believe it pushes me further and makes me a better athlete and a happier person.
What is your number one goal, personal or team, for this season?
My number one goal for this season is mainly for everyone on the team to see some improvement this year. I know last year was very hard for a lot of people, especially myself, and I know that a lot of people on our team weren't very satisfied after last season, so for this season I would really just like to see everyone get the times that they want this year and to see some people smiling after their races again.
What event/sport other than your own would you like to try?
I've always wanted to try track. I really enjoy running and I think it would be really interesting to race out of the water and to be able to have as much air as you want!
What athletic or academic achievement/accomplishment are you most proud of?
Hands down, my biggest athletic accomplishment is that I actually didn't know how to swim until my freshman year of high school and had no intention of joining the swim team originally. However, someone on my high school team brought up that it would be good conditioning for other sports and so I agreed to join the team. After a few months, and with the help and seemingly endless patience of my high school coach and teammates, I went from not knowing how to swim at all to being the only freshman on a relay of seniors and getting two medals in my first district meet.
Which three people, living or dead, would you like to share a meal with?
I would definitely pick Richard Hammond, James May, and Jeremy Clarkson (the hosts of Top Gear) and just wait to see what kind of conversation those three would start.
What is your ideal travel destination?
My ideal travel destination is the Nürburgring race track in Germany, because there is a lot of history there and I would want to see how fast I could drive around it.
If you could visit another time, when would it be and why?
I would go to the '80s because the music, clothes, and cars were amazing and seeing that my parents got to live through it, I'm still a little jealous.
by Michaela Alfano '25
