NAC Master's Profile: Jeff Ockerman
This is the first in a series of articles about NAC Master's athletes. Brian chose to start with Jeff Ockerman as our first interviewee, as he is our most active competitor - without a doubt, he would love to have some company!
Jeff recently competed at United States Masters Swimming Nationals in Auburn, Alabama. Jeff finished in 9th place in the 50 fly, 4th place in the 50 back, and 3rd place in the 100 back. Congrats, Jeff!
When did you join NAC Masters and how often do you swim?
I've been swimming with NAC off and on since 2002. I tend to drop out for a few months and then come back. That's one of the joys of Masters Swimming — you do it when you feel like it. My weekly average might be two days a week in the water.
What is your background as a swimmer and athlete?
Pretty intense. I began age group AAU swimming when I was 9, in Lexington, KY (with terrible hand-eye coordination, I failed at tennis, the family sport. My parents stuck me in the pool so they could play mixed doubles with my siblings in peace). I was a skinny, small kid, suited for distance swimming, resulting in placing 4th in the AAU Open Water National Long Distance Championships 4 mile swim when I was 14. I set a lot of Kentucky state age group records and qualified for the "pool" Nationals beginning in 1972 in the 200 and 400 IMs. In college, I was on scholarship at Auburn, where I was a 4 year letterman, 3 year All SEC, and co-captain of Auburn's 5th place NCAA team in 1977.
I was never as good a swimmer as I wanted to be, but I doubt I could've been any better. I trained with and was coached by some of the greatest names in our sport. In high school I trained with then UK swimmer Mark Schubert (USC, Olympic, and USA Swimming National Team head coach). I was coached by Doc Counsilman in 1972 (IU and Olympic coach), for two summers by Randy Reese (UF and Olympic coach), and for four years by Eddie Reese (UTexas, Olympic, and 2011 FINA World Championship USA men's head coach). At Auburn, I swam with National champions and Olympic medalists.
What motivates you to wake up and swim at 6am?
My teammates will tell you: Nothing motivates me to swim at 6 am. If I get there by 6:15, I'm lucky. The only thing that motivates me at all, I've found, is fear of embarrassment: I enter swim meets to force myself to train.
Outside of the pool, who are you?
I'm a father (25 year old son; 22 year old daughter), a former politician (Metro Councilman from 1991-1995), a community activist (one of a group who work for the historic preservation and commercial redevelopment of East Nashville, where I've lived for nearly 29 years), a lawyer (28 years practicing health care law), an educator (former Vandy law school adjunct professor), a musician (keyboard, mandolin, guitar, singing groups), and non-profit board member (too many to list). Currently, I work as Director of Health Planning for the State.
Some people might be surprised to know that...
I love to cook and a couple of years ago I won a Food Network Magazine national recipe contest — scallop civeche. Here you go:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/ scallop-ceviche-with-candied-citrus-recipe/index.html It's easier than you think.
Favorite Brian Allen-ism:
For the 6:00 am practices: "You're here already?"
