Meet Norbert Szabó, Virginia Tech’s very own Olympic swimmer

The Olympic Games are a time for nations to come together in friendly competition. It’s the only event of its kind that so easily encourages peace and commonality among the countries of the world.

There is no better example of this than Norbert Szabó, a member of Virginia Tech’s swim team, who is competing for his home country of Hungary this year in Rio.

First, could you introduce yourself?

My name is Norbert Szabó, I’m from Budapest, Hungary. I only started school in January 2016 so I will graduate in fall of 2019. I will be a sophomore this fall. My major is University Studies. I have three more semesters to choose a different major, but I’ve not decided yet.

I have a parrot at home which is a typical pet in Hungary. I mention that because the guys on the swimming team are always [making fun of me] for that. My father is a chef and I am so thankful for him. He’s always behind me in bad times and tries to help me to not give up swimming. My mother is a shop assistant in a store. I haven’t got any siblings.

You’re originally from Hungary, so why come to America for college?

Mainly, I am a swimmer and in Hungary, it’s so hard to start any university and continue your hard work in the sport, too. The US is the best place, in my opinion, for this. The conditions are way better than at home and I can easily schedule my practices and classes too. That was my best decision to come here and accept the scholarship.

What drew you to Virginia Tech specifically?

Unfortunately, I had a couple bad years at home in my swimming club and I feel so lucky because at this period, Aaron Bell [a former Virginia Tech swimming coach, who has recently moved to Notre Dame] texted me and made me an offer to come here. After this point, I worked hard to improve my English – which is still not the best – and took some time to reach the SAT score. But yeah, I think that was the first pull to come to Virginia.

What’s your go-to Starbucks order?

I am not a coffee fan, I only drink it before a couple of classes after a morning practice, so I haven’t got a go-to Starbucks order.

What has been your favorite thing about Virginia Tech, or college itself, so far?

Firstly, I love the swimming team. The whole team is just perfect I couldn’t imagine anything better. This includes the coaches, too. Secondly, the food is so delicious I can easily find every type of food which is really good after a long practice. Lastly, the surrounding environment is so calm, I can relax easily between the classes and the sessions too. Everything is perfect. I don’t want to lie, but everything is just perfect to enjoy life for the upcoming years. I can highly recommend this place.

Are there other activities besides swimming that you enjoy doing in your free time?

I like to play on my Xbox. I always try to achieve most of the achievements in each game, so this is showing my personality in my free time, too. Also, I like to play poker with my friends and sleep as much as I can.

What’s the last show you watched on Netflix?

I am a fan of watching series like South Park, Family Guy and some series like these, but my last show was Pokemon from the beginning. Because of the newly released Pokemon Go game was just awesome, I felt like I must watch the series again.

Which specific events we can watch for you in at the Olympics?

I am going to swim in the 4*200m free relay. Unfortunately, I missed the “A” cut in my main event (200m IM) so I can only swim in the relay and try to enjoy every moment there and learn a lot for my future competitions.

What are you most looking forward to experiencing in Rio?

Mainly the 200IM and 200free finals, but after these events, there is every other men’s finals to watch and learn as much as I can. I had a chance two years ago to represent my country in the Youth Olympic Games, so I can easily imagine the Olympic Village and the other fun [things] in Rio.

Whatever the outcome this year, would you consider competing again in 2020?

Yes! Rio is just the first step. I am only 20 years old and hungry to succeed in 2020, and I hope 2024, and it’s still the main goal to compete and reach my dreams.

Now, the most important question: Chipotle, Moe’s, or Qdoba?

I love Moe’s! The food is soooo delicious, and then Chipotle and Qdoba both on the second place for me.

What piece of advice would you give to someone hoping to compete in the Olympics in the future?

If the person wants to be a swimmer, my advice is just train hard every practice and try to keep your mind clean before every competition. I think this is advice for most sports, too. The Olympics are just the biggest event in the world – the road is so long and it can be hard sometimes, but you have to push harder to reach your goals because most of the sportsmen are dreaming about the Olympic gold. (Me too.) So I have to work even harder to reach my goals in 2020 or 2024.

Follow Norbert Szabó on Instagram at @sz_norbert96.