Competing at his 2nd Olympics in Paris this summer, Drew Kibler told himself it would be the last competition of his career. He did this more to help himself enjoy the experience than to convince himself that he was done racing for good.
After Paris, Kibler took 2 months completely out of the pool, trading swim practices for hiking, reading, being in nature, and doing art. In the "mad dash" from Phoenix to Austin after Bob Bowman announced he would be moving to the University of Texas, Kibler opted to stay in Tempe, even though he had come there specifically to train with Bowman.
Since returning to practices at ASU, Kibler has been training with new head coach Herbie Behm. But, Kibler hasn't put swimming on the forefront just yet. He's still trying to pursue and enjoy hobbies outside of the pool in an effort to balance his sport and happiness.
In December, Kibler competed at the US Open in Greensboro, where he won the 200 free, clocking a 1:32.7. The 2x Olympian said it was the happiest he's been after a race in a long time, potentially pointing to an aquatic Renaissance for Kibler moving forward.