On Saturday, August 6, Elizabeth Beisel will be among those kicking off Olympic swimming as she goes for her long-coveted gold in the 400 individual medley. However, as the 23-year-old tells Us Weekly, she could have ended up in a completely different Olympic sport. Read on to find out all of the 25 fun facts Beisel shared with Us.
1. I have played the violin and piano since I was 3 years old.
2. I grew up with two goats, two pigs, two ducks, two dogs, two rabbits, two guinea pigs, 16 birds, a cat and plenty of fish.
3. My first sport was diving, but I was so bad at it, my mom made me join the swim team instead.
4. I have been swimming competitively since I was 5 years old.
5. During my first race ever, I peed on the blocks because I was so nervous.
6. I have a younger sibling named Danny who is the coolest person I know.
7. My brother and I used to hide bananas behind our windowsills because we hated when Mom made us eat them.
8. My mom found the bananas a few weeks later and was not happy.
9. I have two tattoos: one of the Olympic rings on my hips and an anchor on my ribs for Rhode Island, my home state.
10. I started surfing when I was 10 and won my first competition when I was 12.
11. I qualified for my first national swim team in 2006 at age 13.
12. I competed in my first Olympics at 15.
13. On my 14th birthday, my hero Natalie Coughlin gave me a personalized birthday card, and I still have it framed to this day.
14. I have been to every continent, minus Antarctica.
15. My parents met in a bar in New York and have been together ever since.
16. I would rather swim in front of a million people than play my violin in a room of 10.
17. Smoked salmon is my favorite food.
18. I am close to fluent in Spanish.
19. I am a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan.
20. I graduated the University of Florida with a 3.8 GPA.
21. I will always be in love with Leonardo DiCaprio.
22. If I could meet three celebrities, it would be Taylor Swift, Leo and Jennifer Lawrence.
23. I am severely blind; I always have to have glasses or contacts on.
24. I am the only person in my family with curly hair.
25. If I weren't a professional swimmer, I would be an actress.
