University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Dakota Luther
October 28, 2020 | Swimming & Diving, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Dakota Luther opened her swimming season last week with a pair of wins during Georgia's meet at South Carolina. The junior from Austin, Texas, helped the Bulldogs win the medley relay and then followed that with a victory in the 200 butterfly.
Before Georgia kicked off its season, which resumes Friday against Florida at Gabrielsen Natatorium, Luther sat down for a Quick Chat. She talked about taking time off from training during quarantine and coming back feeling very good physically and mentally. Luther also talked about her new kitten, Lucky, Texas barbecue and much more.
Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: We did one of these Quick Chats about a year ago, and a lot has happened in the last year. With that in mind, how do you as a swimmer, someone who needs a pool for all of your rigorous training, handle a pandemic, and not being able to train for a long time?
Luther: I think swimmers are big planners and schedule people, so I think it was hard for the swimming community as a whole. I actually only had to take three weeks out of the water, and I probably needed it, probably mentally more than physically.
I had a really good time, me and my youngest brother worked out every day. We'd run four miles and then lift, so that was kind of fun.
Frierson: Talking to Javier Acevedo, he seemed to think the time off was ultimately a positive thing for him, both mentally and physically. Do you feel that way?
Luther: Yeah, I think the people that have raced so far are swimming faster because we never really give our bodies a chance to rest. I think it will be interesting to see how people swim this year, but I definitely feel like I'm in the best place that I've been in in a long time.
Frierson: When you suddenly had all of that free time during the spring and summer, what did you do away from swimming?
Luther: I actually worked a lot this summer. I did a lot of swim lessons and babysitting. ... It was nice — I didn't think I really liked kids that much but I was a lot better with them and enjoyed doing it a lot more than I thought I was going to. I also got a kitten, so that was nice, it's nice to have him here with me since I have more time outside of the pool.
Frierson: There's a lot that comes to mind when I think of Austin, from the music and the South By Southwest festival, as well as the food. Are you caught up in the barbecue scene there, or are you more of a taco and Tex-Mex person.
Luther: I like Tex-Mex, but I'm a big barbecue person too. My family's favorite Tex-Mex place is Chuy's — my dad actually worked at the first one, in Austin — and I really like going to Salt Lick (BBQ). Me and my dad go there once every time I go home
Frierson: Does Salt Lick have to a really, really long wait like some of the other places, like Franklin's, always have?
Luther: Yeah. It opens at 11 in the morning and we always call it a field trip because it's 45 minutes from my house and we get there right at 11.
Frierson: This was supposed to be an Olympic year and now the Tokyo Games are scheduled for 2021, so what does that change do to somebody with dreams of going to the trials and making the U.S. Olympic Team?
Luther: I think it's different for different people. Some people were maybe peaking for 2020 and I can't imagine how they feel. ... I think another year is a huge advantage for me. It was a little bit of a long shot (to make the team), I mean, I had a chance but I'd have to have the swim of my life. To have another year to prepare and wrap my mind around maybe going 2:05 in the 200 fly is really nice.
Frierson: Being a very competitive person, how did that competitive nature come out during the quarantine when you couldn't race?
Luther: I have two younger brothers and I get along best with the youngest one, he's 14, and he's grown a lot and gotten a lot stronger. It was great to work out with him and I'd try to time stuff and compete with each other. He hated running and I grew to love it towards the end, but I think he showed up to football practice in really good shape.
Frierson: I'm looking at the 10-meter platform behind you and I'm wondering, have you ever jumped off of it?
Luther: No.
Frierson: Will you ever do it?
Luther: I feel like it. One time we convinced Jack (Bauerle) to let us jump off the 5-meter, but that's as far as I've gone. It doesn't look that high until you get up there. But I do want to jump off the 10-meter — Jack says I have to wait until after I graduate.
Frierson: If you could be great at anything for a day, just to experience it, what would it be?
Luther: I don't know, probably baseball or singing. I know those are two completely different things but I've always liked watching "The Voice" and I think it would be cool to try out for one of those. And I've gotten really into baseball the last few years. I think that's what I want to work in after swimming, and I think it would be really cool to play your sport into your 40s and make that much money. I think it would be so fun.
I played a little baseball when I was younger, with my brother, and I liked baseball a lot more than softball.
Frierson: I know knitting was a hobby of yours well before the pandemic hit, so was it something you did a lot of in your free time? Did you knit anything special?
Luther: I actually didn't knit that much. I was super busy doing the swim lessons and stuff, but I did a little paint-by-numbers. I did a huge cat that's on my wall here and then I did a Texas sign that said Home.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Dakota Luther opened her swimming season last week with a pair of wins during Georgia's meet at South Carolina. The junior from Austin, Texas, helped the Bulldogs win the medley relay and then followed that with a victory in the 200 butterfly.
Before Georgia kicked off its season, which resumes Friday against Florida at Gabrielsen Natatorium, Luther sat down for a Quick Chat. She talked about taking time off from training during quarantine and coming back feeling very good physically and mentally. Luther also talked about her new kitten, Lucky, Texas barbecue and much more.
Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: We did one of these Quick Chats about a year ago, and a lot has happened in the last year. With that in mind, how do you as a swimmer, someone who needs a pool for all of your rigorous training, handle a pandemic, and not being able to train for a long time?
Luther: I think swimmers are big planners and schedule people, so I think it was hard for the swimming community as a whole. I actually only had to take three weeks out of the water, and I probably needed it, probably mentally more than physically.
I had a really good time, me and my youngest brother worked out every day. We'd run four miles and then lift, so that was kind of fun.
Frierson: Talking to Javier Acevedo, he seemed to think the time off was ultimately a positive thing for him, both mentally and physically. Do you feel that way?
Luther: Yeah, I think the people that have raced so far are swimming faster because we never really give our bodies a chance to rest. I think it will be interesting to see how people swim this year, but I definitely feel like I'm in the best place that I've been in in a long time.
Frierson: When you suddenly had all of that free time during the spring and summer, what did you do away from swimming?
Luther: I actually worked a lot this summer. I did a lot of swim lessons and babysitting. ... It was nice — I didn't think I really liked kids that much but I was a lot better with them and enjoyed doing it a lot more than I thought I was going to. I also got a kitten, so that was nice, it's nice to have him here with me since I have more time outside of the pool.
Frierson: There's a lot that comes to mind when I think of Austin, from the music and the South By Southwest festival, as well as the food. Are you caught up in the barbecue scene there, or are you more of a taco and Tex-Mex person.
Luther: I like Tex-Mex, but I'm a big barbecue person too. My family's favorite Tex-Mex place is Chuy's — my dad actually worked at the first one, in Austin — and I really like going to Salt Lick (BBQ). Me and my dad go there once every time I go home
Frierson: Does Salt Lick have to a really, really long wait like some of the other places, like Franklin's, always have?
Luther: Yeah. It opens at 11 in the morning and we always call it a field trip because it's 45 minutes from my house and we get there right at 11.
Frierson: This was supposed to be an Olympic year and now the Tokyo Games are scheduled for 2021, so what does that change do to somebody with dreams of going to the trials and making the U.S. Olympic Team?
Luther: I think it's different for different people. Some people were maybe peaking for 2020 and I can't imagine how they feel. ... I think another year is a huge advantage for me. It was a little bit of a long shot (to make the team), I mean, I had a chance but I'd have to have the swim of my life. To have another year to prepare and wrap my mind around maybe going 2:05 in the 200 fly is really nice.
Frierson: Being a very competitive person, how did that competitive nature come out during the quarantine when you couldn't race?
Luther: I have two younger brothers and I get along best with the youngest one, he's 14, and he's grown a lot and gotten a lot stronger. It was great to work out with him and I'd try to time stuff and compete with each other. He hated running and I grew to love it towards the end, but I think he showed up to football practice in really good shape.
Frierson: I'm looking at the 10-meter platform behind you and I'm wondering, have you ever jumped off of it?
Luther: No.
Frierson: Will you ever do it?
Luther: I feel like it. One time we convinced Jack (Bauerle) to let us jump off the 5-meter, but that's as far as I've gone. It doesn't look that high until you get up there. But I do want to jump off the 10-meter — Jack says I have to wait until after I graduate.
Frierson: If you could be great at anything for a day, just to experience it, what would it be?
Luther: I don't know, probably baseball or singing. I know those are two completely different things but I've always liked watching "The Voice" and I think it would be cool to try out for one of those. And I've gotten really into baseball the last few years. I think that's what I want to work in after swimming, and I think it would be really cool to play your sport into your 40s and make that much money. I think it would be so fun.
I played a little baseball when I was younger, with my brother, and I liked baseball a lot more than softball.
Frierson: I know knitting was a hobby of yours well before the pandemic hit, so was it something you did a lot of in your free time? Did you knit anything special?
Luther: I actually didn't knit that much. I was super busy doing the swim lessons and stuff, but I did a little paint-by-numbers. I did a huge cat that's on my wall here and then I did a Texas sign that said Home.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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