If you sat next to an Olympic gold medalist in class every day, would you be able to tell?
If that champion was UW-Madison senior Carly Piper, then probably not.
A shy, self-proclaimed \Food-Network geek,"" Piper has accomplished more in 21 years than many people do in a lifetime. A captain of the UW-Madison women's swimming and diving team, Piper traveled to Athens, Greece this summer to participate in the Olympics. Once there, she dominated the 800-meter freestyle relay with her teammates, and together they won the gold medal and broke a 17-year-old world record.
In mid-February, Piper won Big Ten Swimmer of the Year for the second time, as well as scoring victories in the 500- and 1650-meter freestyle events at the Big Ten Championships. She won those events all four years at Wisconsin.
Piper, a native of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., said she knew immediately that UW-Madison was the school for her.
""I came here on a trip and I just felt like I fit in right away,"" Piper said. ""I came here and met with the team and sometimes you just know it. And I knew it, but I didn't want to tell anyone because I had one more school to visit ... but in my head I knew I really wanted to come here.""
Swimming runs in the Piper family. Her mother, a former swim coach, swam in her youth. Her sister swam for the University of Tennessee, and Carly has been swimming competitively since she was seven years old.
Although Piper wants to continue swimming competitively as long as she can, she can only compete in college until the end of the year because of NCAA rules. Piper is pursuing a major in either zoology or biological aspects of conservation.
""I'm going to swim for a while, but I like having the science background, and I like all the environmental studies classes too,"" she said. ""I don't really know what I want to do. I might open up a business or just work with animals.""
Fidgeting with a pink breast cancer-awareness bracelet, Piper continued, ""I really am interested in breast cancer research and getting the word out there, I guess. So I'm trying to get involved in that more.""
Making the transition from high school to college is never easy, but entering the university as a dedicated athlete can complicate things further. Juggling classes, a social life and a rigorous training schedule is difficult, Piper said, but maintaining balance and discipline helps her succeed in college.
""I really needed a change, and I knew that my senior year,"" Piper said. ""Just the whole transition into different training, the change was good. I knew I needed it, I knew I needed something different and even if it was the same with a lot of yardage and hard work, it was a different school and a different atmosphere.""
Piper said swimming in the Olympics was always one of her goals, and thinking about her time there still gives her chills. She said the people she met-including her swimming teammates and Houston Rockets basketball player Yao Ming-were all friendly and supportive.
""I still kind of think it's a dream,"" she said. ""My dad told me stories that I didn't really remember saying, but when I was seven I just looked at him and said, 'I'm going to the Olympics.' I don't remember saying that, but it's just been so long thinking or just wanting to do it and then being there-it's something that's always going to be in the back of my mind.""
Although she doesn't get recognized much on campus, Piper said it is still a strange experience when people realize her accomplishments.
""One of my professors said, 'I was grading papers and my daughter saw your name and she was like 'Oh my God, do you know who that is?' and I'm so sorry, I didn't know who you were, I didn't watch the Olympics,'"" she said. ""It's OK, I don't mind.""
UW-Madison junior Amanda Witte, a diver and captain of the UW-Madison women's swimming/diving team, is Piper's friend and roommate. Witte said Piper's modesty brought her teammates into the spotlight at times.
""She's pretty laid-back and she's really funny,"" she said. ""She's kind of shy and she doesn't like to be in the spotlight. After she won her gold medal she didn't want to stand in front of people all by herself with her medal. She was always like, 'Oh, I want someone over here with me!'""
Kari Woodall, assistant coach of the UW-Madison men's and women's swimming teams, has worked with Piper since she began college.
""She's not like you would think,"" Woodall said. ""When you see a world-class athlete you'd expect them to be pretty bold, but Carly's got a soft-spoken confidence. She doesn't need to tell people she's good. She's just very modest and a fierce competitor, but you'd never know it by talking to her.""
Woodall said Piper's determination has helped her succeed and her encouraging nature supports the whole team.
""You can't teach someone to want to touch the wall before everyone every race, and that's just something she does. It's innate,"" Woodall said. ""She's a hard worker. If she doesn't have a good workout, she's not happy with it. You don't have to tell her when she doesn't have a good day, she knows it. She knows she needs to come back the next day and do better.""
Coming back stronger is a priority for Piper as she continues to improve her swimming and academics. She manages to keep a low profile on campus as a successful college athlete due to her soft-spoken nature and dedication to her sport.
""If I ever have a bad day, I can just think to myself, 'Oh, remember that time in the Olympics?'"" Piper said. ""Anytime I have a bad moment or a bad practice I can just think back to that and get motivation from it.\
