Ok, I'm doing this a little different than normally because Roland was so expansive in his answers that it seemed a shame to try to paraphrase them too much. That said, they are paraphrased a bit. If his answers seem a little choppy it is because he was typing them a sentence at a time to keep things moving. I've kind of patched them together so it's easier to follow and cut out alot of the chatter as well. So keep in mind he was sometimes responding to comments made that I didn't include. Roland was a great guest, very open with us as you'll see, funny but not flippant. Can we ask for any more than that?
Roland was struck with Halloween fever and a few minutes late for chat because he was making pumpkin pie. (No report yet on how it turned out but I'll let you know if I hear.) He carved his first pumpkin a few days ago - standard smiling pumpkin - and he dressed as Calvin and Hobbes for a weekend party, carrying a stuffed tiger around with him all night. (He's promised photos but none as of yet.)
Roland asked what everyone else's costume ideas were...
brit_1102 - Kitty
Atrophy - last years fashion wearing ugg boots, one of those annoying ruffled skirts, a tank top, a scarf and a trucker hat (like she doesn't wear that EVERY day).
Crackinup - Cowgirl with dixie cups taped to herself (Dixie Chick - get it?)
Sarah - Boondock Saint (Roland liked that one)
Saava - Kitty
Enyo - Lara Croft...with a scary knife
Questions:tinkerbell: Hi Roland! Congrats on your WR this summer! It was amazing! You also have one of the most amazing starts, what's the secret behind them? And are you going to the World Cups in Europe?
RolandSchoeman: My start is really something that I have been working on for years. When I started swimming I knew it was a very weak aspect of my swimming. I would spend hours everyday at the pool and my pool at home video taping my start and trying to figure out ways to improve. When I first got to college I would practice about a 100 starts a day. My coaches got tired of me doing so many that they would leave the pool. I knew exactly what I wanted and wasn't going to settle for anything less. I think my start is still something that can improve. Everybody looks at my start and wants to improve theirs. I need to improve upon my strengths.
I won't be swimming any world cups this year unfortunately. I have Commonwealth games in March and I don't want to travel too much beforehand. Getting deported from Russia also left a bad impression on me. i love competing in Europe though.
Asked for further explanation on the deportation...Well, my passport got stolen and the Russian olympic committee promised to have a visa waiting at the airport. Needless to say the visa wasn't there and I got deported. I flew back to Germany and then flew to Russia again. At that time there was a visa for me. I'm not a huge fan of flying so it didn't make things any easier.
Silawen: Hello Roland, thanks for coming tonight! I was wondering how many languages you speak and which? Thanks! :)
RolandSchoeman: Thanks for the warm welcome. I speak 2 languages fluently and I can understand a bit of German and Dutch.
brit_1102: Hey Roland, thanks for coming! I wanted to know if you still swim to impress girls and/or if you got the girl you were trying to impress the 1st time. lol
RolandSchoeman: Haha. I did start to impress a girl and I did end up seeing her for a few months. Her father got transfered away and we ended up breaking it off. I found something in swimming that I really enjoyed and thought I should continue. I kind of feel that swimming chose me in many ways. Circumstance brought me into it and has me here where I am today. I was about 14 when I started. Very young. (ha. jk) I have always been active and into sports, always played soccer, rugby, cricket, tennis. I have always loved sports. I made my state team in soccer and cricket. Another reason why I ended up in swimming is the cricket coach and I didn't see eye to eye. He felt gung ho about the sport and I didn't really worry when I would go out. Good coaches definitely make the difference. I don't believe I would be where I was if it wasn't for my coaches.
saava: Hey, Roland. The tattoo on your shoulder blade is really interesting. What is it? Does it have any special significance?
RolandSchoeman: It is a tribal design with a Chinese Kanjii in it. The tribal part had a circle in it and I decided I wanted something with more meaning. Kanjii just means a symbol..Chinese word basically meaning strength. I got the tattoo after I made my first South African team. It was a deal I had with my mom that when I made my first South African team I could get a tattoo. I made my first team in 1998, my senior year of high school. I don't have the Olympic rings at all. My first olympics wasn't what I had hoped for so I didn't want to get the rings. I have an olympic ring that I designed that I wear on my finger. That is good enough I think. The tattoo didn't tickle. It was pretty sore.
Silawen: Well, no pain no gain, I guess. :)
RolandSchoeman: Exactly. Physical pain is only temporary. I prefer physical pain to having my heart broken.
AimsRos: Thanks for coming to chat, Roland! How did you decide to come train in the States, and why Arizona? Also, at which meet this season, will you break Popov's record?
RolandSchoeman: I had the opportunity to visit Arizona just before I ended high school. I met the coaches and the team and I felt amazingly comfortable. I just felt within my heart that Arizona was the right place for me. The weather is amazing too. I can't swim indoors, it would drive me crazy. I love being in the sun. Having a sun tan 365 days a year is awesome. Apart from that I have gotten to know the coaches here very well. They really are family to me. I actually don't ever wear sun scream. (following the halloween trend. Sun Scream. haha.) I have actually spoken a lot to dermatologists and they say it washes off. I see one every year to make sure I don't have any melanomas.
Popov...I think his record will be broken pretty soon. I think when someone gets it into their mind that they can do something it changes their perspective. Too many times in life and in swimming we limit ourselves with boundaries. I try to eliminate boundaries from my life and from swimming by living in the now. Nothing is impossible. I live by my philosophy. BELIEVE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE.
Teagan: Hi Roland! Thanks so much for doing this--it's great to have you here. My question is about the gold medal your team won for the relay in Athens: It was exciting to see that win after almost everyone was focused on the U.S. and the Aussies. Did you surprise yourselves with the win, or did you just know going in that your team was going to be the one to beat?
RolandSchoeman: Going into the Olympics we knew we had a reasonable shot to win a medal. We knew that if everyone was on the same page that we would win the gold medal. The 4 of us knew we could do it. Virtually everyone else didn't give us a chance. The American team was worrying about who was going to be on the relay. They were worried about our relay order. The Aussies were concerned. We really didn't care, we had nothing to lose. We were supremely focused on the task at hand and we didn't relent from the very beginning. It was an amazing experience what we did for South Africa and every other small country out there was amazing. South Africa had never won a team medal at the Olympics. We were the first. Sharing that medal with 3 other people was far more significant than if I had won an individual gold medal.
teri: Hi Roland! How would you describe your friendship with Ryk Neethling? You were national and collegiate teammates like Brendan, Aaron, and Ian are but you and Ryk have to compete against each other. What kind of affect does that have on you?
RolandSchoeman: Ryk Who? hehe. Well, when I got to America Ryk was a distance swimmer. I really wanted to be his friend but for some reason he didn't feel the same way. When he started sprinting he had to beat me at all costs. He is a very, very competitive person by nature as all successful people are. We are friends when there isn't a pool close by, but as soon as there is we would consider ourselves competitors.
Sarah: Hey Roland, thanks for subjecting yourself to our little chat tonight! I've got a really important question for you that many of us agreed we want the answer to, so I figured I'll get it out of the way first. Why don't you wear a goatee more often? It's extremely attractive on you. ;)
RolandSchoeman: Hhhhmmm. Well traditionally I grow my beard/goatee during taper. It gets pretty itchy so that is one of the reasons I clip it down..not a huge fan of shaving either. I also haven't been blessed with the hairiest of faces. I'll do the scruffy thing for a little while and let you know how it turns out. Maybe we can have a follow up some time.
Timtheswimmer: Hey Roland! Thanks for coming and chatting with us! Do you feel that your asthma has affected your swimming, especially your sprints?
RolandSchoeman: Asthma really has affected me in the past. When I was younger my mom would have to take me into hospital a few times a year because I would close up so bad. Since last year though I have been able to totally control my asthma. I saw a plumonologist and we have been working together to have me symptom free.
hazelnut: Hi Roland :) I was just wondering if there are any races, or particular swimmers that you look forward to watching when you're at a competition?
RolandSchoeman: I enjoy watching Katie Hoff swimming, she has an amazing amount of talent and she is just an amazingly sweet person.
(Tim has seizure of joy over this answer)RolandSchoeman: Apart from that I enjoy seeing the duel between Phelps and Crocker. That's about it.
hazelnut: Do you cheer for Phelps or Crocker?
RolandSchoeman: I'll shout for Ian.
(Sarah has seizure of joy over this answer)blair: Roland, what was it like meeting Mandela? What was he like in person?
RolandSchoeman: Meeting Nelson Mandela was a truly amazing experience. I have read his book "Long Walk to Freedom". Just knowing everything he has been through and the way he has been treated, I have a huge amount of respect for him. He came out of jail without any anger or hatred to the people that had put him into prison. He transformed a nation that needed to be transformed. He is an incredible person whose life can be an example for us all.
lala: I just wanted to say I met you at Santa Clara and you were so nice to me, Thanks for that btw... The 4x100 relay in Athens was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I really wanted to see you in the 4x100 relay at World championships. Why didn't you contest that race? And did you really get in trouble for wearing the wrong suits at Olympics?
RolandSchoeman: The main reason for not swimming the relay at world champs was because Lyndon Ferns had decided not to swim. He had to apply to the business school in Arizona. They are pretty strict with grades so he had to make sure they were in order. Being from such a small country if you don't have one of your top 4 there, you won't be able to compete as well. We also didn't want to get there and disappoint everyone that had supported us the year before.
We did get into a lot of trouble for wearing the Arena suits. South African swimming's team sponsor is Speedo and they weren't going to accept us wearing another brand. Funny thing is that Speedo has never supported us in South Africa and the Arena suit is the fastest suit I have ever swum in. It was so upsetting for us though. We went in there and won a medal for our country and then we get yelled at. Almost makes us feel that nothing is good enough for our federation. It was really frustrating and saddening for me. The majority of people supported us.
SickDudette: Hello Roland!, Thanks for coming to the chat tonight!. Ok, I'd like to know what made you choose butterfly and freestyle over other swimming styles? Also, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
RolandSchoeman: When I started swimming I was a backstroker, though not a good one by any means. Freestyle was just something I always practiced and became fairly good at. My coach at the time was also a triathlete coach, so I think freestyle came pretty naturally to me. Butterfly was a little harder. Finding a rhythm was really hard. I was strong enough, but getting my stroke technique the way I wanted to was the hard part. It works great for the 50 but I am still struggling with the 100.
10 yrs from now... 2015...Well, in 10 yrs I see myself happily married with a family. I will have accomplished everything I have ever wanted to in swimming and will never need to look back and say "if only I could have done better" or "if only I could have done this/that differently."
lala: Is it pronounced Shoo mann. or skoo mann... btw?
RolandSchoeman: I've had so many variations to my last name. Shoeman, Skoeman, Showman, Skoman...but it is pronounced Skoo - maan
Timtheswimmer: and the first name- row-land or row-lan?
Michelle: :boots tim:
RolandSchoeman: Ro Land. No rowing in my name. haha.
Silawen: My 7 year old niece calls you Rolly. O_O
RolandSchoeman: Rolly is fine. I've had Rolly Poli. Rolo..Roshow..Roland..it all works.
alxcar6: Hey Roland- thanks for coming and chattin' with us tonight and my question is......What has been the hardest thing that you had to go through to get to where you are right now? And I have another one. What have you done to get to where you are!?
RolandSchoeman: The hardest thing that I have ever had to deal with was the death of my father. He died just after i started swimming (7 - 10 months). I was swimming in a swim meet at the time and I came home and knew something was wrong. My mom sat me down and told me. I had a choice to sit out of the meet but decided to swim. I knew that was something that he would have wanted me to do. I wanted to honor his memory through my effort. Growing up without him has also been really hard. There are some things you can only ask a father and I haven't had that luxury. When he died I had to grow up really fast. It was a blessing in disguise. I think I am mentally very strong and that is why I have achieved what I have achieved. I did start swimming for a girl. I started winning for my father. Now I swim to honor the people I have lost, the people who love me, the people who support me, for myself because swimming is something I love and because of God. This is a gift he has given me for a limited period of time and I have chosen to use it to the best of my ability. Our experiences shape us into the people who we are. We can choose to approach life in a positive way or we can approach life negatively.
RolandSchoeman: If everyone asked theirs then I have a question to ask. What does everyone think about athletes changing nationalities? If someone's federation doesn't take care of them or if they are from a country where little is done to improve upon their sport. Is it something worth doing? Will he be considered a traitor, or will everyone see he is looking out for his family in the future and at the present time? Do you think that people would stop supporting the individual? Do you think that he will always be branded in a negative way?
hazelnut: I think every athlete has the right to compete where ever he or she has the best opportunity. No one should be held back because of a lack of facilities or quality coaches etc.
PeterBick: Actually Phil Whitten has been writing on that. I think he had a balanced perspective comparing it to other sports where this happens all the time.
blair: I think there will always be people who will think negatively but you have to do what is best for you and your family.
Silawen: I think people should be fan/supportive of the person, not the nationality. An athlete has the right to choose whatever seems right to him/her.
PeterBick: What Blair said.
RolandSchoeman: i have read the article and followed it, that is another reason I am asking the question. Everyone always hears coaches and swimmers perspectives, but I want to hear what the supporters/fans good hearted people in general feel.
hazelnut: There is a Canadian who is swimming for Australia right now and I think it's sad that he gets flack over here.
alxcar6: I think the same as hazelnut
Enyo: I think an athlete should do what is good for his/her career. If that means changing nations that is ok for me.
teri: That happens quite a bit in sports now. I'm kind of used to athletes doing it. No biggie.
Teagan: I agree. You have to do what's right for you and your family
Timtheswimmer: Well, i see it as making the best of your resources. There are many tremendous coaches in the US and other places too, and if they choose to train abroad, but they still love their country enough to compete for them, then it is definitely accepted.
Sarah: I'd have to say that if the swimmer sees it as necessary for them personally to do it, where they will be given the most opportunities to really fulfill their full potential. If they are in a stifling environment, that the world is possibly missing out on a great athlete who could add so much to the sport itself.
PeterBick: Dr. Ron Karnaugh, a US Olympian swam for Poland in the 2004 short course worlds.
lala: I suppose the the country you left would be disappointed. I feel if you live in a country then it is cool to go there. But to go somewhere just because you have a name that sounds like it is from that country, that is different.
RolandSchoeman: Well thank you all for your honesty. I am glad I had a chance to ask you all a question. You make swimming a lot more fun. Halloween pics will be up soon I promise. I will send them to Michelle Asap. Take care of yourselves. All the best. You can talk to me anytime at RSASprinter@yahoo.com.
Believe in the Impossible.
