Mind, Matter, Desire Give Se-Bom a Cutting Edge

Whenever Se-Bom Lee swims a lap at training with the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) squad it’s an opportunity for him to put into practice some of the subjects he’s studied in his Bachelor of Medical Science and Engineering courses.

The 21-year-old Tokyo Olympian, who will swim in the 200 metre individual medley at this week’s Sydney Open at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, said his studies are the perfect escape from the pressures of elite swimming, while the pool, he says, is a healthy distraction from the lecture hall and textbooks.

Among the subjects Lee has studied is the structure and function of the human body, pathology, the makeup and chemistry of the cells that make up living organisms, genetics, neuroscience and a myriad of other facets that have provided him with an extensive understanding of the body.

While Lee says the knowledge he’s procured as a student doesn’t necessarily give him an advantage over other swimmers, he concedes it can be helpful.

“What it has given me is a is a physiological background of what the body does; for instance, how it performs under fatigue,” Lee said. “It means, rather than just swimming up and down the pool, I can think about what the body does – what it wants to do.

“And understanding why the body reacts in certain ways does help. It gives you an insight on how to prepare yourself for the tougher sessions; why nutrition plays a big part in sport . . .  utilise all of these understandings to full extent, including what the body goes through with certain loads and how it adapts to certain behaviours.”

However, for Lee to achieve his aims – to swim at July’s World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan and at next year’s Paris Olympics – it comes down to the adrenaline-charged equation of the daily grind at training, exploding off the blocks on race day and generating as much momentum and force as Lee’s cells, molecules, muscle twitch – his sheer will – can muster.

While he said the physical part of his sport is hard, Lee presented the mental strength associated with swimming as a beast in a completely different category.

“Most of the time [when you are swimming at training] you’re thinking about other things: ‘what I’ve got for the rest of the day’ or sometimes I sing a song,” he said when quizzed about the mental aptitude needed to get through the more arduous sessions.

“It’s hard. Sixty percent is mental and 40 percent physical. Anyone can do physical, where you push yourself. But the other 60, it’s in your head . . . you’re screaming inside when you’re hurting and just grinding through. You want to keep that inside voice as low as possible and keep going until the end.”

However, Lee said what’s made the ‘grind’ tolerable is his being a member of NSWIS’s squad that’s under the guidance of Head Coach, Adam Kable. He said having the support of a group of swimmers who are as equally motivated as him – and mates as well – is crucial.

“I’ve done the solo training, and it’s tough on your own,” said Lee, who describes himself as a ‘joker’ and ‘extremely chilled’. “Being a member of the squad is a special part of my training. Swimming is a hard sport, and having the backing of your teammates helps get you through a session; makes it a little easier.

“It’s also in my nature to [keep people honest] at training. It’s all done in a good spirit – never malicious. If anything, it is just me adding to that sense of camaraderie we all want and need. It’s how I tell my teammates I have their back, no matter what.  And, I like to think it helps to get people going.”

Lee has targeted the Sydney Open [which runs from 12-14 May] as an opportunity to ‘top up’ his assault on next month’s World Championship Trials in Melbourne.

“I plan to just do the 200 ‘Med’ at the Sydney Open because I want a top up – to swim nice and fast – in the lead up to the World ‘Champs’ trials next month,” he said. “That’s one of the benchmark events for us, and I want to get that [qualifying] time.

“It’s funny, but these events kind of creep up on top of you and what you do is put in even harder yards because I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. I want to get the best I can out of myself over the next couple of weeks.

“In saying that, excitement also comes into play. It’s important to want to have fun with it as well. You have to enjoy yourself.”

Lee has exceeded all expectations he had as a young boy who grew up in the inner-west suburb of Strathfield and only took up the sport because he was made to tag along as his older sister trained and competed. As he progressed through the ranks his goal became to one day compete at the Olympics, but he didn’t set his focus on achieving that dream until he graduated from St Patrick’s College in 2019.

“I’d been on junior teams, and I wanted to transition to the seniors,” said Lee, who qualified for the Tokyo Games on his birthday. “I still find it hard to believe I achieved that. Can’t believe it at all. That might sound harsh, but I’m a quite harsh marker of myself.

“But achieving [Olympian status] is also a bit of a blur. COVID affected the experience in some ways, but what I took from Tokyo was that I’m genuinely excited by the Olympics. Tokyo gave me insights . . . what the taste is like . . . and what I’ve realised is that it’s the ultimate spot for a swimmer.”

The experiences of Tokyo have added an extra layer of resolve to Bom, who said his desire to compete in Paris gave him even more to think about as he swims up and down the training pool, especially when he’s wrestling with that voice screaming in his head during the great grind.

“It’s realising the importance of improvement,” he said. “Ensuring you have the strength that comes from mental preparation and remembering how, at the Olympics, there were the expectations; the hecticness and the pressure of knowing all eyes are on you when you’re in the water. That’s when you appreciate ‘this is up to me’.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS