The CWSA Podcast S1E28: Tara Kirk, 2004 Award Winner

Tara Kirk’s transition from swimming—she was the U.S. record holder in 50,100 and 200 breaststroke—to a professional career was much different than many others. And it was not without lessons learned that she went from swimming on the world stage to the world stage in pandemics and bioterrorism. And this has never been more relevant than in this unusual year where a pandemic has affected all of our lives.The swimming stage for Tara included growing up in Bremerton, Washington State followed by Stanford for national championships where she broke records. The professional stage began as a biology student at Stanford, capped with a doctors degree from John Hopkins to now serving as a Senior Associate at the John Hopkins Center for Health Security and Assistant Professor in their Dept of Environmental Health and Engineering.

Tara shares what it meant to her when Athens hosted the 2004 Olympics - truly a welcome home from where it all began. After that, she trained throughout the 2008 Olympics before retiring. From being at the top of her game for so long she was suddenly at an entry level position where her peers were five years younger. Tara built upon the qualities that made her a champion swimmer: hard work; penchant for precision; embracing details to achieving more in academics and in her career. She also was advised, and believes, that one has to dig deeper, take criticism and apply and learn or simply keep going. And she concedes that it helps t have talent… although, without training, that is not enough .

Tara shares the simulated exercises she co lead about Covid-19 in early 2019. She acknowledges the role communication plays in terms of a national strategy for mis and disinformation, and emphasizes how social behavior factors are critical to the response. She shares with us her niche, which went from the theoretical to reality in a matter of months. Tara weaves into her life journey the story of relationships, be it at Stanford, her husband’s relationships that connect her professionally or testifying in front of Congress.

She laments the barriers and the equity needed for women sports and women in science, urging us all to fight the good fight as we are not yet there. All the while we recognize what a terrific role model she is for both sport and science.

Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production of WiSP Sports & the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards

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