Podium Potpourri: Surging Off the Blocks With Stanford and Canadian Star Taylor Ruck
Swimming World continues it series of getting to know swimmers who have reached the podium on the world’s biggest stage.
Stanford star Taylor Ruck is a four-time Olympic medalist for Canada. She swam on two bronze medal-winning relays in Rio 2016, then followed that with two more relay medal performances (silver and bronze) at Tokyo 2020. She also placed sixth in the championship final of the women’s 200-meter backstroke in Tokyo.
Taylor Ruck recently captured her second consecutive victory in the 200-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships.
WHAT IS YOUR PUMP-UP SONG BEFORE YOU GET BEHIND THE BLOCKS OR WHILE YOU’RE IN THE READY ROOM? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE SONG THAT SPEAKS TO YOU?
I kind of go through my playlist in the same order, so it is a few songs. Before my race, I go and put my feet up for like 10 minutes. I start off with “beachy” music, but then progress into faster-paced music like Diplo. It is definitely about the beat and the bass right before the race.
WAS THERE ANOTHER SPORT YOU PARTICIPATED IN WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER? ANY MEMORIES STAND OUT?
I did summer camps for basketball and soccer, but nothing really stuck. A lot of my time was spent swimming. I was kind of afraid of other things—like balls flying at my face—so swimming was it!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE AND/OR BOOK? WHY?
I recently read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and that was really good. It was really insightful. It is hard to pick one, but that is the most recent, and it sticks. I would read it again and again, so that is why it is my favorite right now.
COMPARE YOURSELF TO A SUPERHERO—WHICH ONE AND WHY?
My favorite is Spiderman because he can low-key fly, but he also has to be intelligent to figure out things. And he is very down-to-earth.
WHERE DO YOU KEEP YOUR MEDALS?
Honestly, I think right now, they are in my dad’s closet.
WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND ON THE PODIUM IN TOKYO? HOW WAS IT DIFFERENT FROM YOUR FIRST OLYMPIC PODIUM?
I was able to take it in more when I was in Tokyo. And I really enjoyed seeing the people that I hadn’t seen in so long because of COVID. I had been training with my centralized group of like 10 swimmers. Seeing the international swimmers through masks and the plastic dividers in the dining halls, it was still super special.
Everyone coming together makes me really happy. It was different than the feeling in Rio. I was young then (recently-turned 16), and everything was so new and exciting. In Tokyo, I could take time to acknowledge everything a little bit more.
CANADA FINISHED FIFTH IN THE MEDAL STANDINGS AT THE TOKYO OLYMPICS WITH SIX MEDALS (1 GOLD, 3 SILVER AND 2 BRONZE). WHAT WAS IT LIKE SEEING ALL OF THAT SUCCESS?
I love it so much. It helps give everyone the sense of invincibility in a way. It makes you think anything is possible, and that is really exciting. It was also so cool seeing Summer (McIntosh) swim so great (in her first Olympics as a 14-year-old, just missing the podium in two events—400 free and 800 freestyle relay).