One and
done. Olympic hopeful Maya DiRado is currently training for her first — and
last — Olympic Games.
“This is
it,” the 23-year-old swimmer tells Us Weekly exclusively. “This summer, no
matter how it goes, it will be my last summer swimming.”
Despite the
sport getting progressively older — at the age of 41, Dara Torres won three
silver medals at the 2008 Olympics after becoming the oldest swimmer to ever
make Team USA — the Stanford grad says she can’t be persuaded to stick with it.
“I am loving
it, but it’s nice to know that this is the last time I’m doing it, it’s very
motivating, just to enjoy this year,” she says. “But I don’t think I could keep
this training up for another four years. It’s very intense.”
Luckily her
teammates have been supportive of her decision. “Everybody understands. Everybody
is both scared and excited for their life after swimming,” she says
As soon as
the Games in Rio wrap, DiRado plans to start work as a business analyst at
McKinsey.
“I got hired
in fall 2014, but I was like, ‘Hey, I’m trying to train for the Olympics.’ And
they were like, ‘That’s great! Go for it! We’ll see you in 2016, good luck!’ So
they were really incredible about it,” she explains.
For now, the
200M and 400M individual medley swimmer is enjoying swimming with those she’s
long admired.
“When I grew
up, a lot of people on the team, like Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps, they
were on the national team and it was crazy to be on my first national team with
them and to be traveling with them, and I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’”
she says. “But they’re really great. They’re really nice and happy to have new
people and super welcoming. It’s been amazing.”
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