Third-year Swimming Mountie Olivia Feschuk decided she needed to take a break from swimming last year. She returned to the pool this season and is happy she did.

“I had been swimming competitively for so long that I just needed a break,” she says. “I didn’t have plans to return, but I missed it more than I thought I would. I realized I needed something outside of school work for stress relief and the break helped me understand that.”

Feschuk started swimming competitively at the age of six with the Waeg Waves Summer Swim Club and at nine she moved to the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club. So when it came to choosing a university, swimming was definitely part of the decision to attend Mount Allison.

“My mom and grandfather are alumni, so it is a family school,” Feschuk says. “And I also knew I could keep swimming at a high level, while balancing school.”

In her first year at Mount Allison she had a strong season, qualifying for nationals in the 100m and 200m backstroke and the 200m individual medley. She has qualified once again for the U Sports Swim Nationals after hitting her qualifying time in the 200m backstroke and narrowly missing the 200m individual medley by 0.5 of a second at the Kemp Fry Invitational at Dalhousie University. Feschuk was named the Joey’s Female Athlete of the Week for her accomplishments.

She says her top swimming moments and what she enjoys most about the sport are the friendships she has made in the past 15 years. She also credits meeting celebrated U.S. Olympic swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte at a swim meet in 2010 as a highlight.

Feschuk began her academic career at Mount Allison in biology and has just decided to take a double degree in both Commerce and Science.

“I haven’t decided exactly what I want to do after I graduate, but I feel the mixture of Commerce and Science will open more doors for me,” she says.

Along with 10 hours of training in the pool per week, Feschuk is also on the executive for Health Care Outreach and is part of Enactus Mount Allison.

The U Sports Swim Nationals will take place in Sherbrooke, QC from Feb. 24-26.