Mighty Barracuda Olympic Trials Spotlight: Jacob Pawlak

Mighty Barracuda Olympic Trials Spotlight: Jacob Pawlak
Thursday, May 9, 2024

Swimmer: Jacob Pawlak
Age: 17
Current Grade: 12
School: Franco-Cite
Plans for Next Year: Swimming and Studying Kinesiology at McMaster University

Years Swimming:  10, the greatest 3 of which were as a Barracuda!
Events at Olympic Trials:  100 BR, 200 BR

Pre-Race Routine: Have snack and spray myself with water before racing
Pre-Race Pump Up Plan: Listen to a recording of a live Martin Garrix concert before my races
Favourite Food:
Favourite food: any freshly baked product

Favourite meal during a swim meet: pasta and meatballs
Best on deck snack: dried mangos, bear paws and apple sauce. 
What he does when a race doesn’t go as planned:  Remind yourself that "one race does not define you" and to not give in to negative-self talk. Ask yourself, what went wrong in the race? What went right? How can I improve it? What technical improvements do I need to now do in practice? 

If he could give advice to his 10 year old self, what would it be?  Don’t take yourself so seriously and worry about times. Always enjoy the moment and not worry about the future or things you can't control.



“Your swimming journey is YOUR journey. Do not spend time comparing yourself to others. Remember that every time you race, you are trying to go faster than YOU have ever gone, and you are swimming for YOU, no one else.”  Wise words from Jacob that underscore his mentality on his journey that has found him headed to the Olympic Trials. 

Jacob’s journey into swimming started for practical reasons.  His parents valued it as an essential life skill. Exploring various sports as a child, he found himself drawn to competitive swimming for its non-contact nature and the sheer enjoyment he derived from being in the water. As he grew into the sport, he quickly learned that there were two key aspects of swimming that  kept him hooked.  “One of the best parts is having great teammates around you. They are the people who push you in practice and cheer you on at meets.”  He continues on to explain the other piece that he thrives on is the process of  “progressing and learning how to swim faster than before.”

One of Jacob’s fondest memories actually highlighted both of these aspects long before he even knew it.  When he was 12 years old, he was selected to attend the Swim Ontario OJI FUNdamentals camp.  This is a youth camp run between prelims and finals of the Ontario Junior International (OJI) competition held at TPASC annually, a competition that has also become one of the premier short course competitions in the world.  Part of the camp day included attending a finals session, and this opened Jacob’s eyes wide.  “Watching finals showed me what fast swimming looked like, and gave me the goal of wanting to compete at this competition” he states.  This past December, five years on from his first glimpse into the world of elite swimming, Jacob stepped confidently onto the blocks and became the one all the youth attending the FUNdamentals camp were looking up to.

When asked how Jacob was able create this full circle moment, he explained, “I stopped focusing on the end goal (the time) and focused on the process and how I was going to get there.” He continues on to acknowledge that it’s this same mentality that carried him on to the Olympic Trials as well.  “By doing (focusing on the process), I was able to improve my turns, which helped me make my cut. Additionally, figuring out what foods worked for me helped fuel me to making the cut. Staying hydrated, stretching and sleeping enough helped as well.”  Jacob focused on what he could control, and what he needed to do for himself to be faster than before. 

As every one of our national level athletes has shared, so too does Jacob speak to having great teammates around you as being at the heart of successful swimming.  “They are the people who push you in practice and cheer you on at meets. My favourite thing about NKB are my teammates and the atmosphere that we create for each other at competitions.”   Fun fact - young Jacob didn’t know it at the time, but that OJI FUNdamentals camp was also the first time he would meet his future teammate Alex Pilieci. (Yes, that Alex!)  Jacob, Alex, our national athletes, and our full green and black squad create a climate on deck that gets noticed for all the right reasons. This is because we have role models like Jacob leading by example with his get-it-done mentality, never losing focus on his process and the goals, always lending a helping hand to teammates, chaperones, and coaches alike,  and of course by balancing in the fun with some green spiritwear and home-made monkey masks for for our littlest monkeys… errr we mean mini but still Mighty Barracudas! 

Jacob’s parents are complimentary of “his ability to balance a tough grade 12 course load and his swimming commitment.  He works extremely hard.”  They continue, highlighting why he is able to be so successful despite a challenging course load or demanding training program. “He is not phased by not achieving a goal, but rather turns around and asks himself “what can I do to achieve my goal”. We are extremely proud about his achievements in school this year and his swimming achievements this year (trials and OJIs).  What an amazing last year at NKB!!”

Jacob, it is a joy watching your process and journey.  While you may be swimming for your love of the sport, you are an incredible role model to your teammates and  have made the entire Mighty Barracuda community proud. 




Stay tuned to your email for daily stories of our athletes as we approach the 2024 Bell Canadian Olympic Trials, or visit the News section of the  NKB Swimming website for current and past stories.