Brighthouse Sports

Brooke Bennett in her new career as a sports anchor

02/02/10

Brooke Bennett literally entered the scene while Janet Evans was leaving it – Brooke won her first gold medal at the 1996 Games in Atlanta in the 800 free, which was also Janet Evans’ last race. Bennett followed that with golds in the 400 free and 800 free in Sydney. Recovering from a serious car accident, Bennett is now a fixture on south Florida TV. She talks about all that, and who impresses her now, in this week’s 20 Question Tuesday.

1. First of all, take us back to the accident -- what happened?
Brooke: My car accident happened on October 30, 2009 as I was coming home from work...I was on the exit ramp to get on to another highway, when my tire blew out. It hooked my car straight off the road into the grassy area where I spun, I think two-and-a-half times, and slid into a tree on my driver’s side. A few cars stopped and I recall a couple of young gentlemen assisting me. I was taken to the hospital where I spent 8 days; I was treated under trauma, to make sure I didn't have any internal injuries. I was bumped and bruised pretty bad, glass everywhere including in my head, where they had to give me a few staples. The worse of my injury was a fractured pelvis; it was crushed in the front –medical terms pubic bone – and I had a crack in the back of my pelvis going in to sacrum.

2. How long did it take to heal and what did that entail?
Brooke: I am still healing at (12) weeks post surgery. After Dr. Sagi, a pelvis specialist took a look at my x-rays and suggested to put me under and rock my pelvis. That is when he spoke with my family and made the decision to go ahead with surgery. I have 2 screws now in place, to allow my pelvis to heal correctly. There should be no long term affects from the accident.  I was pretty much on strict orders of bed rest for about 8 weeks, the recovery is slow. I was just cleared Thursday (Jan. 21), to get back to my full routine. My next check up is in April, to discuss removal of the screws. I have swam throughout the recovery and at the first of the year got back into the gym riding the exercise bike for about 30 minutes and adding in some upper body weight lifting. I am going to start ramping up my workouts again, tip-top shape for my 30th birthday in the spring.

3. What are you doing now -- I understand there is a new job?
Brooke: I do have a new job! I am so excited about my career. I am working full time for Bright House Sports Network, the local cable all sports channel. My position: broadcaster/anchor covering all high school sports in the Tampa Bay/Central Florida area.

4. How does your sports background help with your new job?
Brooke: I came onto the national/international scene in swimming at a very young age, qualifying for World Championships in 1994, at 14 years old. Then of course my first Olympic Game at only 16 years old, I pretty much grew up in front of the world and especially in my home town. The local newspapers and stations always wanting to report on my successes in the pool, I became very comfortable with having a recorder, microphone or camera in my face. Now that I am the one going out to report on the up and coming High School stars; I can relate to their feelings and emotions, which helps me get a better story.
 
5. How did you end up getting this new job?
Brooke: Last February, I was inducted into the Sports Club of Tampa Bay Hall of Fame, where Bright House Sports Network sponsors and host the event. The Vice President Elliott Wiser and Station Manager Paul Kosuth were among those in the audience when I gave my induction speech, they of course were familiar with seeing me on camera through the years but I guess I impressed them both that night. They approached me at the end of the evening and asked if I had ever thought about a career in TV. A few weeks later I was sitting down to lunch discussing where I could possibly fit into the vision of Bright House Sports Network (BHSN). I signed a one-year contract as a freelance/analyst and my very first story aired the April 2009. As the months went on, I grew to love what I was doing and much like I did in swimming. Each day I was in the station and each story I got ready to air, I wanted to prove to be someone looking to launch a career in TV. My efforts were seen again by Elliott and Paul. In the month of October I was approached again by both about a full time position. We came to an agreement the morning of my accident; everyone at BHSN was amazing and supportive of me during my recovery and I started full time January 2010.
 
6. You were under the radar the last few years -- how'd you seem to disappear on us for so long?
Brooke: Yes, I did step back to rethink my life and direction. I got back into the water for some training in 2006 with my long time coach Peter Bank, because my heart was still so much in the sport…but I never quite got to where I wanted to be. I made the decision to sign my retirement papers in January 2008. When that happened, I needed to figure out who I was away from the pool. I have such a passion for what I did all those years, in a big way I felt like I was losing part of my identity. I am just at the point in my life where I have overcome so much, these 2 years have by far taught me a lot about who I am and the woman that I want to be. After being in my car accident and a few other major events in my life, I am a true believer in things happening for a reason. Whether they are good or bad, happy times or sad they make you a stronger person.
 
7. What do you do to stay in shape?
Brooke: Prior to starting my career in TV, I have been in the health and fitness world of things, as a certified personal trainer and nutritionist. That alone keeps you in shape, having to practice what you preach. I have taken a sense of pride in changing my body structure from a distance swimmers build to more of an athletic lean muscle. During my years of swimming I never spent very much time in the weight room and my dry land was very basic, sit ups and medicine balls and later on added spinning. Coach Peter Banks was all about the yardage I put in, which we know worked very well for me. When I decided it was time for me to hang up the swim suit, I wanted to step away from the pool for a good amount of time and change up everything that I had ever known.
 
8. Are you swimming at all and do you miss it?
Brooke: Since retiring in 2008, I have not been on a normal swim schedule – it is always hit or miss. I do enjoy it, when I work it into my workout routine and since my accident have been thinking about this year really changing things up and making it a part of my workouts on a more regular basis.
 
9. You look like you are in as good a shape now as you were during your Olympics -- how is that even possible?
Brooke: I follow a very strict workout and nutrition plan; I have been named a “food snob” by my boyfriend John Kercheval, himself a former swimmer. I take it as a compliment! For good reason though; I have a little side project that I have been working on in my spare time – a cook book. A healthy lifestyle way of eating: Quick easy dishes to prepare, anything from breakfast, desserts, side dishes and main courses
 
I am constantly changing up my routine to avoid my body getting flat or getting bored with the program. But with that I am a very routine person, so I know what works best for me. Getting my workouts in first thing in the mornings, if that means waking up at 5am, that is what I do. I push myself pretty hard on the weights, I believe if you aren’t walking funny 24-36 hours after legs you just didn’t go hard enough. I always get in at least 45 minutes to an hour of cardio 6 days a week; rest day is every seventh day. I don’t run. I do the stair-mill mostly, spinning when I can get into a class and walking at the highest incline on the treadmill is a great way to tone your legs and glutes. I keep my heart rate in my target fat burn zone, spiking it up and down with some sprints to keep in good cardiovascular shape.

10. What is your best swimming or Olympic memory, looking back at it now?
Brooke: Wow (pause) that is a tough one. I have so many great memories, been so many places and met so many great people. The memories I have of winning 3 Olympic Gold Medals stand out on there own, each one having a very special meaning and place in my heart…an amazing rush still comes over me to this day when I share them with young athletes and even adults. Aside from that, I think the biggest honor was being on a Wheaties Box. I can still recall that day when my agent Evan Morgenstein called me in Sydney. He asked, “Are you sitting down? I have some very exciting news to share with you, but you have to keep it under tight wraps.”  Being nominated for an ESPY award, although Marion Jones won, (was) still a great honor.  But there is one I have not yet received just yet, but am looking forward to – being inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (May 8, 2010).
 
11. Who is a swimmer or two you are watching heading toward 2012 and why (and if you say Phelps, please list a second one)?
Brooke: I always like looking for the up and coming stars: Ryan Lochte to me is a very impressive swimmer and has lived in somewhat of a shadow of Phelps, but I think he handles it well and his future outside of the pool could be one of the best I have ever seen. Definitely has a style all of his own and of course he is a Florida Boy, sticking with the local talent. Chloe Sutton, the distance girl, she is tough. I have competed with her a couple times in open water.  She is the dominating factor in the distance events in the pool and open water, my eyes are on her for London.
 
12. How has distance training changed since you were in it?
Brooke: I don’t know that I have a good answer for this one…I never followed much on what other distance swimmers were doing. I just focused on what my game plan was with Coach Peter Banks.

13. What is the status of U.S. women's distance swimming right now?
Brooke: I can’t believe after being so strong in distance swimming since the time Janet Evans built the dominance in the late ‘80s that in ’08 we didn’t medal  in either event, and no finalist in the 800 free. 

14. Who impressed you in Beijing among U.S. women's swimmers and why? 
Brooke: Gosh, to me Beijing was a hit and miss on performances by the women, lots of new faces.  But to see Dara Torres at yet another Olympic games – impressive. Natalie Coughlin a member of the National Team for many years, to see her overcome some tough performances – she stayed focused and kept her head in the game, always finding the enjoyment of the sport.  Not to mention the hype she has kept on herself post Olympic Games, nice to see.

15. What made being on the U.S. National all those years so special?
Brooke: My first ever national team was ’94 World Championships, the youngest on the trip (she was 14). It was like having older brothers and sisters for the first time. Being an only child, I had never felt that before.  I recall sitting in the hotel room with Janet Evans, she was helping me with some of my freshman homework – school had started while I was on that trip. Every trip that I traveled on was like a family reunion; many of the same faces but always welcomed those rookies in complete USA Swimming Style.  We did skits on my first trip and I had a bucket of water thrown on me.  I will have those memories forever. Another high moment of being on the national team:  It always ran through my mind before swimming my races; I wasn’t only going out there to win for me but also the team and USA. I loved wearing the swim cap with the American flag and my last name.

16. Who do you stay in touch with from swimming and what do you talk about?
Brooke: Social Networking is an amazing thing: I have reconnected with so many swimmers and coaches, fans too.  It has been a great way to keep up with everyone, their new careers and families.
Probably my closest friend from swimming is Magda Dyskiewicz (now Cooper). Magda swam for Auburn and she and I became close when she came down to Fort Lauderdale to train a summer with Peter Banks and I. Mostly our conversations are about everyday life – careers, her little boy Trista, and mortal support through life journeys.

17. What did swimming teach you about yourself?
Brooke: That you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.  Though in the past two years I have struggled a little bit in finding myself outside of the pool and in a different spot light, I haven’t given up on my goals and dreams that I strive for each day. Dream big – you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

18. What from swimming helps you still in your day-to-day life?
Brooke: Time management!

19. Who is a coach that you remain fond of, and what is something that coach told your or taught you that you carry with you still?
Brooke:  Gregg Troy. I still think to this day, if he would have been at Florida at the time of the ’96 Olympics – it may have changed my choice on giving up on my eligibility. But at the same time, I am happy with the path I chose. I recall Troy coming up to me on deck in Fort Lauderdale, my first Nationals back after shoulder surgery, and I was so scared to stand up on the blocks and race at that level again; he reminded me of my accomplishments and said to never show fear, to do that in your private time. No matter the best race of your career or the worst, learn from to make you better. (Also), Richard Quick and Jack Nelson: Both were always at the side of the pool rooting me on. Quick called me “Waterbug” and Nelson called me “Bee-bop.” Both were coaches on a number of National Teams I traveled on and memories of them I will never forget.

20. A decade ago, you said it would be hard to look at all your accomplishments and be able to say what it means – a decade later, how does that amazing career look and what does it tell you about yourself?
Brooke: During my most successful years of swimming, I don’t think I ever gave myself the chance to appreciate what I was doing.  I was always looking onto the next bigger goal; Good or bad?  I don’t know. But today, I think I get more choked up over my accomplishments. Swimming all those years taught me to be strong mentally and physically. Today, I know that I have found my next big ventures in life and I am going to go after them – a career in TV sports and to one day have a family of my own.