On winning the sophomore season of the ISL with the Dors, she said, “that was incredible, going from third place last year and never winning a meet to winning ISL Season 2 this year. We came together as a team.”
She opened up about working with Cali Condors Head Coach Jonty Skinner and General Manager Jason Lezak. “This was my first time ever working with Jonty, he is so wise and has so much knowledge and information. Jonty gave me a lot of pointers and a lot of good feedback from a technical standpoint,” she said.
“I really enjoy working with Jason Lezak, I have known him from doing swimming clinics with him. I really appreciated that he recruited me and we have a good relationship. Jason is very straightforward and I like how he works as General Manager,” she added.
On her takeaways from ISL Season 2, she said, “I really struggled with my freestyle, but I am grateful that I was able to contribute with the butterfly. My fly progressed with each ISL race. I was pleased I was able to give my best performances for the team in the final.”
Regarding her plans for the future, she said, “I am excited for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. We still have a lot of training to do. I am going to train and prepare like it’s happening and I will give it my best. I will work incredibly hard to make sure my body will be the best it can be for this summer.”
For young and aspiring swimmers, Dahlia encouraged them to give themselves grace during the hard days. “Getting creative and finding fun ways to push myself really helps. Also, have fun with it too,” she said.
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she responded, “I am enjoying married life and I am trying to get the most out of this time and give it all I have.”
She listed the butterfly as her personal favorite stroke in swimming. “I love to race butterfly the most but I like to mix backstroke in practices too,” she said.
She also opened up about being an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation. “I love being as involved as I can to raise awareness to help save lives, and I am grateful that they have helped build my career. I love what the foundation stands for and I would like to get more involved with it,” she said.
Dahlia defined the word success simply as “giving 100 percent and being present.”
For her fans and supporters, she said, “Thank you. I have so much support from my family, my teammates, and my neighborhood at home. My coaches have been incredible over the years.”
To learn more about Kelsi Dahlia, follow her on Instagram.
