When Andrew Wilson thinks back to his aha moment — when things began to click for him as a swimmer — his mind flashes back to 2013, his freshman year at Emory.
Wilson's first semester, he didn't make the travel squad. His second semester, he won four conference championships, was named conference rookie of the year and became a two-time Division III All-American.
"It was gradual but with a couple of moments that stand out," he said. "From my freshman to my junior year, there were multiple (moments) where I kind of made big jumps, but I think the first real moment was a dual meet that we had over winter training down in Florida the January of my freshman year, and that was kind of where all of the work I put in during the fall kind of came together and where I went from not being able to make the travel team to being able to be on the conference team and things like that."
When Wilson says "things like that," what he really means are historic achievements, the kinds that kids dream of from a young age but grow out of. Most notably, making the Olympics. Wilson qualified for Team USA in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke, becoming the first current or former Division III swimmer to qualify for any Games.
"I think it's hard to put into words for anyone," Wilson said of the achievement.
In some ways, Wilson was that kid and that adult. He dreamed and aspired to become an Olympian as a young swimmer. Then, he became the adult who grew out of the dream "based on the odds."
"I was pretty realistic that it wasn't really in the cards for me in high school and even my first year at Emory," he added.
Wilson's trajectory continued upward after that freshman campaign. He captured several national championships and a pair of NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year honors. His junior year, he swept the Division III national championships in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. That summer, he competed at the 2015 U.S. National Championships, along with Michael Phelps. Wilson won the 100-meter breaststroke and finished third in the 200 meters, about three-tenths of a second behind the second-place finisher.
"That was kind of when I realized this was really a realistic possibility," Wilson said.
His Emory experience, he added, changed everything.
"My time at Emory made me into the swimmer I am today. I was just so lucky with the people I got to work with there," he said. "The coaching staff, my teammates, everything."
Including the rigorous academics at Emory, which reports an acceptance rate of around 16%.
"Obviously, Emory is an intellectually challenging place, but for me personally I think that the academics helped my swimming, and the swimming helped my academics," said Wilson, who graduated with a degree in physics and applied mathematics. "I just tend to do better with structure. I needed to have a plan, and that structure helped me in the long run. If I had a bad practice, I could shake it off because I was focused on some academic task that I had, or if I needed a break from some academic stress, then practice was that break. So I really think they helped each other."
Wilson said he can't overstate the helpful role Emory swimming and diving head coach Jon Howell has played in his journey. To this day, the two are close. Wilson still trains in Georgia, and while Howell does not technically coach his former standout, he occasionally will come watch him practice and provide some feedback. The day of the 100-meter breaststroke final at this year's U.S. Olympic Trials, Wilson called his former coach for a pep talk of sorts.
"He just told me exactly what I needed to hear to get in the right headspace to have a good race that night," Wilson said. "He's impacted my life in so many ways. I think obviously at first it was the physical side of things of developing me into a swimmer. The last few years when I've been training somewhere else, he's just been really helpful with the mental side of things.
"Jon's been so supportive of me in everything, from academics to swimming to personal life. I would never hesitate to pick up the phone if I have something where I need his help, and I think that just speaks volume to the kind of person that he is and really the kind of people all of the Emory coaching staff is. All of them feel like family."
Wilson heard from plenty of his Emory family the night he qualified for his first Olympics. At one point, he said his phone was unusable as messages came in faster than he could respond. He said it's very representative of the pride he carries with him from his Division III experience.
"I've always had a ton of support from the DIII community. Current and former DIII swimmers have always been really supportive of me as I've continued on from the NCAA and been training pro," he said. "People will come up to me at meets and say they're from a DIII school, and I've always loved that. I think I'm just super grateful for the support from everyone. I definitely wouldn't be here without them."
