American swimmer and Olympian Jake Mitchell chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his experience at the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, and he shared some of his future plans and goals.
Tokyo Olympic Games
On competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games and repping Team USA, he said, “It was awesome, a total dream come true. It was everything I thought it would be and more. It was an honor to represent the USA on the biggest stage. It was just an incredible experience.”
He finished in eighth place in the men’s 400 meter freestyle final. “That was a mix of emotions,” he said. “Obviously, I went in thinking I had a shot at getting a medal, I think everybody in that heat thought that. I was getting ready to have a good race, I’m a solid racer. At the same time, it was my third time ever going 3:45, and I had my best swim that morning.”
Motivations
On his daily motivations, Mitchell said, “I have the goals that I have for myself. The reason that I love swimming is there is a constant betterment of yourself in the sport. Having a growth mindset has helped me in practice.”
“Also, my club team and my team here in Michigan motivates me every day, as does my family, they have been with me through it all and they have supported me all the way through the good, the bad, and the ugly,” he added.
“Each day, I am working for something that is a little bit bigger than myself, and that’s a pretty big motivator,” he acknowledged.
Making the team with Patrick Callan
For Mitchell, it was an “awesome” experience to be repping Team USA with fellow Michigan teammate Patrick Callan. “Patrick and I train together all year long. Getting to go to the Olympics and travel the world, and having a familiar face there was definitely awesome,” he said.
“At the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, Patrick and I reminded each other of our goals,” Mitchell said. “We both wanted to make the U.S. Olympic team and we both thought each other could do it. Being able to accomplish that goal on the same night was a really cool thing, and being able to travel the world with Patrick was also great.”
Mitchell: A proud Michigan Wolverine
Speaking of being a Michigan Wolverine, Mitchell is thrilled to be representing the legacy and history of the University of Michigan. “Last year, we were Team 100, which was incredible,” he said. “Being able to have my first year in such a storied and legendary program, and to continue that tradition of excellence is one of the reasons that I chose Michigan, and I am very proud to represent it.”
Advice for young swimmers
For young and aspiring swimmers, he said, “Don’t limit yourself to anything. There were many times over the past year, especially during COVID, where I doubted myself. Once I set out for this summer, I thought about what my goals were, and I believed myself the whole way through. Just believe in yourself, don’t count yourself out, and dream big.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he responded, “I am about to start my sophomore year and there are a lot of things that I am looking forward to this year. I am also looking forward to 2024 in the back of my head. I am trying to enjoy the present moment and know that what I do now is going to service me in the future and help me have future success.”
Success
Mitchell defined the word success as “being happy and proud of what you’ve done” and “not having any regrets.” “I don’t think that any place or time is any indicator of success,” he said. “Success is giving everything you could to achieve a goal and to have fun along the way.”
For his fans and supporters, Mitchell said, “Thank you to everybody who has been with me through this entire journey. I definitely couldn’t have done it without the constant support.”
To learn more about Olympic swimmer Jake Mitchell, follow him on Instagram.
