HC Purdue: So tell me a little about yourself?
Marat: Well, I am from Russia. I was born in Orenburg which is 700 miles from Moscow. I have two younger sisters who are 9 and 17 years old. I am the only family member here in the United States. I am currently a junior here at Purdue studying economics with a concentration in finance. I also compete for the men’s swimming team here on campus.
HC Purdue: When did you first start your career as a swimmer?
Marat: I think I started when I was 7 or so. My dad just wanted me to do something productive and stay active. He wanted me to do some type of sport and not just focus on school all the time. My dad choose swimming for me but, I kinda really liked it and kept going. I never really skipped practice and just kept going after that and I have been swimming since then.
HC Purdue: How did you make the decision to come here to the United States and compete as a college athlete?
Marat: The thing is, there is no athletic colleges in Russia. You cannot compete in a sport in college and study. Really, your only opportunity to compete in sports in college is to come to the United States. It is really hard to do both in Russia and I really only looked at the United States because I wanted to compete and go to school.
HC Purdue: How does it feel to win back to back titles as a Big Ten Champion in the 200 meter Breaststroke?
Marat: It’s pretty exciting honestly. I mean, as my coach Dan Ross says, “It’s hard to win, and harder to repeat.” When I won last year, I knew that seven guys all wanted to be me this year. It puts a lot more pressure on me as I dive into the pool and compete for another title this year. I tried not to think about the pressure because after prelims, I was the top seed going into finals at night and I just tried to relax and enjoy swimming and racing. When I touched the wall and looked up at the score board and saw first place all I could say was, “YEAH I did it again!” It was exciting to see my teammates and parents cheering for me in the stands and on deck.
HC Purdue: What is the most exciting part for you about swimming?
Marat: I would say racing. It’s exciting when you train for something and then you step on the block and race other people. It’s always fun, especially when you have your teammates and you always race at practice.
HC Purdue: Now that you have claimed the Big Ten Title, what is next for you?
Marat: Well, in two weeks I will be competing in the Division I NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship. This meet is for only a selected few who qualify in their events. I will be competing in the same race as I did in Big Tens, which is the 200 yard Breaststroke. My goal is to make the A finals, which is where all the fastest swimmers will compete and then just race. I mean this is finals, and it will be a really close race. Everyone is fast. The swimmer I will be racing agasint is the fastest in the nation and in Division I swimming.
HC Purdue: What is your favorite part about Purdue?
Marat: Being a part of such an amazing team here. There are some really nice people who are very supportive of me. It’s like a team of 35 people where everyone is different, but when someone has a problem or issues, everyone will come and help that person. It’s just like a family to me here. I don’t have any family here and they are like my family. We all work and train so hard and it is something that I really enjoy and value here at Purdue.
HC Purdue: Do you have any other talents or skills that we should know about?
Marat: Well, I guess I am a pretty good breaststroke. But I don’t know, I think that’s really it. I mean, I am actually pretty good at chess. I learned when I was 5 or 6 years old. But I think that’s it. I can only do chess and breaststroke haha.