9Qs with Bartlesville’s Travis Lief

By Elizabeth Contreras

VYPE: What grade are you in and how long have you been swimming?
 Travis Lief: I am a senior in this year. I have been swimming competitively for 10 years for Bartlesville Splash Club and four years for Bartlesville High School. I started swimming lessons when I was three years old at the Splash Club and progressed fast, so my mom and dad convinced me to stay in the pool.

VYPE: What events or strokes are your strongest, and what do you enjoy most about them?
 TL: My strongest stroke is the Backstroke. It’s the stroke that came more naturally to me during training and progressed to be a strong stroke for me.

VYPE: What has been your proudest moment in your swim career so far?
 TL: I enjoy making my smaller goals. Making the personal goals to me are the most important because it will contribute to the larger team goals.

VYPE: Who has been the biggest influence on your swimming journey?
 TL: My family, my teammates, and my coaches. They are shaping me to meet my goals and be the best I can be.

VYPE: What do you enjoy most about being part of your school’s swim team?
 TL: I’m with my friends. They motivate me to reach the bigger goals we have as a team.

VYPE: What is the most challenging part of swimming?
 TL: Discipline. You have to have discipline and drive to be better than you were yesterday. I have to always remember the bigger goal.

VYPE: What advice would you give to younger athletes just starting out in swimming?
 TL: It’s a journey. Take it one race at a time. Don’t overthink. You know what you need to do and listen to your teammates and coaches. They see things you don’t.

VYPE: Looking ahead, what are your plans after high school?
 TL: I plan to go to school for Aviation with a goal to become a Commercial Pilot at a school in Oklahoma.

VYPE: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you or your team?
 TL: We are a small team this year but mighty. We have heart, grit, and will always represent Bartlesville the best we can.