Over his first two seasons in the UCSD swimming and diving program, Paul Li became an All-American and school record-holder. Now a junior, the Fullerton product was chosen by teammates as a co-captain for 2014-15. "Paul is the swimmer every coach looks to recruit," says his coach, Triton great Daniel Perdew. "While obviously a talented athlete, his work ethic, attitude and consistency are what set him apart. On top of that, he is a good person through and through." Next up for Li is a rivalry dual at Division I UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Nov. 7, prior to the Tritons' top early-season competition annually, the A3 Performance Invitational, in Monterey Park later this month. He spent some time recently to reflect on his summer and the campaign ahead.
Q: You had an eventful offseason, competing internationally both in Lima, Peru in July and then in Mar del Plata, Argentina, at the South American Championships in October. What were some of the highlights?
LI: I really enjoyed being able to train with my former head coach Matt (Macedo) and the team one last time before he headed off to (UC) Santa Barbara. Alex Merrill (alum and former co-captain) coming and supporting me in Lima was a huge relief, being able see a familiar face throughout the four days of the competition. We also had a thrilling adventure traveling around Peru. We visited Nazca (my father's hometown), Chachapoyas (my mother's hometown), Machu Picchu, and surfed in Huanchaco.
In Argentina, it was surreal being able to make friends with the other members of the Peruvian national team. Moments before the 400-meter medley relay, in the waiting room I was so anxious I was going crazy in my head. Once I got on the blocks for the anchor leg, all that went away. The feeling of representing my country overcame me, and that is something that I will never forget. Breaking the Peruvian national record just completed that whole meet for me.
Q: Give us a brief walk-through please of how you came to compete for the Peru national team.
LI: My senior year of high school, I got my dual citizenship with Peru. Two years ago, my father got in contact with one of the Peruvian national team coaches, Augusto del Aguila, and we have been in contact since. During the spring, Augusto informed my dad and I about the national championships in July that were held in Lima, and that swimming well and making certain time standards would allow me to qualify for the team that would represent Peru in Argentina at the South American Championships.
Q: How different a feeling is it to represent an entire nation, rather than just a school or a club?
LI: Representing UCSD and the team members I train with is such a rewarding feeling and I always have a lot of pride doing it. Representing Peru is something that I can't comprehend yet. There is more weight on my shoulders and drives me to focus and be in tune with what I'm doing in and out of the water. I do feel honored to be able to have the opportunity and be able to compete on that stage. It's something that I never really thought could happen.
Q: What is the biggest difference between swimming the short-course yards during the college season, and the long-course meters that you raced all summer for Peru? Do you prefer one to the other?
LI: There is a pretty big difference between short course and long course. When I swim long course, I feel like I'm competing in a different sport. Short course seems more fast-paced with more of an emphasis on the turns and breakouts. Long course makes an emphasis on the pace and stroke rate throughout the swim. Turns and breakouts are equally as important, but since there are less in long course, it's a change in the way one is able to approach any event.
Q: Bringing it back to UCSD, what did it mean for you to be voted by your teammates as a co-captain as just a junior in this 2014-15 season? How have you taken to the role so far?
LI: The team is essentially my second family. We go through so much hardship together in and out of the pool. I have a tremendous amount of respect and trust for the members of the team. Being voted in as co-captain is an honor. So far, everything has been going really well. I'm having the time of my life being able to aid the team in reaching its true potential. The team has been doing an outstanding job training and competing. The members have been putting in so much effort. It is truly inspiring to watch and be a part of.
Q: The men's program went through a coaching change this past summer, as former head coach Matt Macedo left for UC Santa Barbara and gave way for Triton legend Daniel Perdew to be elevated into that position. Knowing that everyone on that staff has a hand in the development of each Triton swimmer, tell us a little bit about what Coach Perdew brings to the table, and how he, Corrie (Falcon) and Marko (Djordjevic) have added to your skill set.
LI: Daniel is in tune with the team's atmosphere since he is able to relate to the things that we have to go through on a daily basis, which makes approaching him a lot easier. He is great at picking out little kinks in our stroke technique and knows how to improve it. Since last year, I haven't had too much time with Corrie, but she has a good eye when working on stroke technique. Whenever I have too much of a bend in my neck or body position in the water, she is the first one to let me know.
Marko is my main coach in the distance group. He has a program that we are currently in that is showing some awesome results in the water. Marko and Daniel were training me for Argentina this September when they both changed my freestyle and backstroke technique to be more efficient in the water. It's something that we are still working on, but my freestyle is feeling great and almost effortless.
Q: You shattered the five-year-old school record in the 500 free at the conference championships this past February. Which program mark do you have your sights set on next? How many more do you think are within your reach?
LI: I plan on dropping time in the 500 free and making that record faster. The main record that I have had my eyes set on since freshman year has been the 200 free. My best time is off by a tiny margin (.39 seconds), so I'm pretty excited to see what could happen this season. I have a good feeling that the 800 free relay is going to be incredibly fast this year, and I plan on being a part of that relay. I'm also excited to see what's in store for the 400 IM, which sophomore Zach Yong is the current record-holder for.
Q: Coming out of Fullerton, what brought you to UCSD?
LI: On my recruiting trip, I enjoyed the camaraderie that the team presented and I fell in love with the campus and San Diego. I liked how the coaching staff was young. I felt like I could ask them anything. The opportunity to be close enough to home to be able to see my family was an additional bonus.
Q: Besides numerous visits to Peru growing up, had you done much traveling abroad before this most recent trip to Argentina? Is there a place or two you would most like to see?
LI: No, before this trip, I hadn't visited anywhere else besides Peru. Growing up, I spent most of my summers training and competing, so I never had too much time to travel. I was never into traveling before, but that all changed when I had the time of my life traveling around Peru and Argentina this summer. I plan on visiting Australia and Spain in the near future.
Q: You've got plenty to look forward to in the future. What are some of the individual goals you have for yourself that you can share with us for this upcoming college season, as well as up ahead in your international career? How about for the Tritons as a team in the new campaign?
LI: Some individual goals for me this season are to break the 200-yard free (school) record, drop time in the 500-yard free, and break the 3:50.00 marker in the 400-yard individual medley. As for my international career, my main goal is qualifying for the Pan Am Games that will be held in Toronto (in July). For the Tritons, I want to do everything I can to aid UCSD Athletics to move up to Division I. It's something that UCSD Athletics and the swim team has had its eye on for the past few years.
Previous Triton Q&A Features
Paige Hughes (Women's Cross Country) October 20, 2014
Danielle Dahle (Women's Volleyball) October 14, 2014
Tareq Alwafai (Men's Cross Country) September 25, 2014
David Higginson (Men's Water Polo) September 18, 2014
Matthew McClure (Men's Soccer) September 10, 2014
Caitlin Brenton (Women's Volleyball) September 3, 2014
Michelle Yasutake (Women's Soccer) August 25, 2014
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