George Washington University Athletics
Summer Spotlight: Andrew Cho of Men's Swimming & Diving
7/29/2019 10:48:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Cho balances work, training ahead of U.S. Nationals
Those bleary-eyed mornings began with a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call and didn't get any easier from there.
Throughout high school, Andrew Cho started most days at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center with a workout alongside his Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics teammates.
It was there, with the sun just up over the sparkling outdoor facility, that the GW swimmer learned the dedication necessary to reach the highest level of the sport.
Perhaps the toughest lessons came via a limit-testing circuit made possible by the side-by-side long-course pools. The swimmers would dive in one pool, race to the other end, hop out and complete push-ups or some other exercise before diving back in the other side for a sprint to the finish.
"And then do it again and again," Cho said with a grin.
Those memories are sure to come flooding back this week as Cho prepares for the USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships at his home pool. The rising senior is set to swim the 200-yard backstroke on Thursday in his debut on the nation's top stage.
After qualifying with his silver-medal finish in the event at the Atlantic 10 Championships last February, Cho is excited to race in front of a sizable contingent of friends and family, most of whom haven't seen him swim since his PASA days, in a thrilling tune-up ahead of his final season in Buff and Blue.
"For me, this is a huge opportunity," said Cho, who will be joined at the meet by teammate Moritz Fath. "It's a real honor and privilege to represent GW on this national stage and something I'm really excited for. Personally, with it being at Stanford and being in my hometown, it's something that I've been circling on my calendar for a while."
To prepare, Cho has navigated a busy summer in the District, balancing his training at Smith Center Pool with a summer internship at local tech start-up SwitchPitch.
The International Business major has been swimming six days per week, beefing up his regimen from his previous summers as a Colonial with an eye on U.S. Nationals and beyond.
Mondays are the most hectic: Cho swims from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. before hustling back to his apartment to get ready to work a 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift as a sales development intern at SwitchPitch, which offers a software platform to help established companies connect with start-ups that can improve their operations.
Then, it's back to Smith Center for a one-hour lifting session, one of three on his calendar weekly.
Cho sought out the challenge, and his packed schedule has made for a rewarding two months, athletically and professionally.
"I wanted to have that balance feeling like I was really striving towards all the goals that I've set for myself," Cho said. "I'm really fortunate to be in D.C. this summer because I have that opportunity to have the best of both worlds."
Cho is hoping to take the next step in the pool after a strong junior season, highlighted by his runner-up finish behind teammate Emils Pone in the 200 back in a career-best time of 1:44.34. He also took fourth in the 100 back (:47.91) to help the Colonials claim their third straight A-10 title.
Shortly after finishing the year by scoring in three events at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship, Cho turned his attention to the push for an A-10 four-peat.
"It definitely feeds a lot of the drive that I have," Cho said. "I really want to have a successful season this year, obviously. We want to complete what we've started.
"It's always something in the back of my mind every morning. I'm not training for just Nationals. I'm training for the 2019-2020 season and putting myself in the best position that I can to be successful."
Under the direction of the GW staff this summer, Cho has particularly drilled his underwater kicks in an effort to find even more improvement.
"He's a kid who's probably more untapped than he knows," GW head coach Brian Thomas said. "He started to show that a little bit this year with some of his results, and if we can keep him consistent, he'll be very good.
"I think that's really what this summer was all about, and he's probably been as consistent as anybody we've had on campus."
Along the way, Cho has been a leader on the pool deck for the dozen or so GW swimmers who have been training in Foggy Bottom.
Thomas said a group of veterans including Cho, Jackie Torrez, Meghan Burton, Morgan Birdy have modeled how to make the most of the summer break and set the bar for the Colonials moving forward.
"It's a full load," Thomas said. "To be coming in every day and be motivated to get that work in when it's not the norm is extraordinary. Their commitment to it is the kind of thing that will help leave a legacy, and I'm very proud of them for that."
On Friday, Cho will get a useful measure of his summer progress at U.S. Nationals facing a decorated field.
He's raced in USA Swimming Pro Swim Series and Junior National events in the past, but this will be his first senior-level national championship appearance.
That it's coming at a venue in which he has so much history makes it all the more special.
"It's a place where I've spent so much time and put so much dedication in," said Cho, who plans to stay in California for a few extra days for a well-deserved vacation showing Fath around his home state. "We had some brutal practices in that pool, but I can't really complain because it's what got me here today."
Throughout high school, Andrew Cho started most days at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center with a workout alongside his Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics teammates.
It was there, with the sun just up over the sparkling outdoor facility, that the GW swimmer learned the dedication necessary to reach the highest level of the sport.
Perhaps the toughest lessons came via a limit-testing circuit made possible by the side-by-side long-course pools. The swimmers would dive in one pool, race to the other end, hop out and complete push-ups or some other exercise before diving back in the other side for a sprint to the finish.
"And then do it again and again," Cho said with a grin.
Those memories are sure to come flooding back this week as Cho prepares for the USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships at his home pool. The rising senior is set to swim the 200-yard backstroke on Thursday in his debut on the nation's top stage.
After qualifying with his silver-medal finish in the event at the Atlantic 10 Championships last February, Cho is excited to race in front of a sizable contingent of friends and family, most of whom haven't seen him swim since his PASA days, in a thrilling tune-up ahead of his final season in Buff and Blue.
"For me, this is a huge opportunity," said Cho, who will be joined at the meet by teammate Moritz Fath. "It's a real honor and privilege to represent GW on this national stage and something I'm really excited for. Personally, with it being at Stanford and being in my hometown, it's something that I've been circling on my calendar for a while."
To prepare, Cho has navigated a busy summer in the District, balancing his training at Smith Center Pool with a summer internship at local tech start-up SwitchPitch.
The International Business major has been swimming six days per week, beefing up his regimen from his previous summers as a Colonial with an eye on U.S. Nationals and beyond.
Mondays are the most hectic: Cho swims from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. before hustling back to his apartment to get ready to work a 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift as a sales development intern at SwitchPitch, which offers a software platform to help established companies connect with start-ups that can improve their operations.
Then, it's back to Smith Center for a one-hour lifting session, one of three on his calendar weekly.
Cho sought out the challenge, and his packed schedule has made for a rewarding two months, athletically and professionally.
"I wanted to have that balance feeling like I was really striving towards all the goals that I've set for myself," Cho said. "I'm really fortunate to be in D.C. this summer because I have that opportunity to have the best of both worlds."
Cho is hoping to take the next step in the pool after a strong junior season, highlighted by his runner-up finish behind teammate Emils Pone in the 200 back in a career-best time of 1:44.34. He also took fourth in the 100 back (:47.91) to help the Colonials claim their third straight A-10 title.
Shortly after finishing the year by scoring in three events at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship, Cho turned his attention to the push for an A-10 four-peat.
"It definitely feeds a lot of the drive that I have," Cho said. "I really want to have a successful season this year, obviously. We want to complete what we've started.
"It's always something in the back of my mind every morning. I'm not training for just Nationals. I'm training for the 2019-2020 season and putting myself in the best position that I can to be successful."
Under the direction of the GW staff this summer, Cho has particularly drilled his underwater kicks in an effort to find even more improvement.
"He's a kid who's probably more untapped than he knows," GW head coach Brian Thomas said. "He started to show that a little bit this year with some of his results, and if we can keep him consistent, he'll be very good.
"I think that's really what this summer was all about, and he's probably been as consistent as anybody we've had on campus."
Along the way, Cho has been a leader on the pool deck for the dozen or so GW swimmers who have been training in Foggy Bottom.
Thomas said a group of veterans including Cho, Jackie Torrez, Meghan Burton, Morgan Birdy have modeled how to make the most of the summer break and set the bar for the Colonials moving forward.
"It's a full load," Thomas said. "To be coming in every day and be motivated to get that work in when it's not the norm is extraordinary. Their commitment to it is the kind of thing that will help leave a legacy, and I'm very proud of them for that."
On Friday, Cho will get a useful measure of his summer progress at U.S. Nationals facing a decorated field.
He's raced in USA Swimming Pro Swim Series and Junior National events in the past, but this will be his first senior-level national championship appearance.
That it's coming at a venue in which he has so much history makes it all the more special.
"It's a place where I've spent so much time and put so much dedication in," said Cho, who plans to stay in California for a few extra days for a well-deserved vacation showing Fath around his home state. "We had some brutal practices in that pool, but I can't really complain because it's what got me here today."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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