The world of Tommy Zaferes

April 27, 2012

What does a 2008 Olympic Trials swimmer do after the Olympics Trials have come and gone? If you’re Tommy Zaferes you pick-up an old bike and enter a triathlon on a whim. Fast forward four years and Tommy Zaferes has weathered the worst of luck, basked in the best of luck, became a full time triathlete and won several races.

Slowtwitch: Hi Tommy, thanks for the time.

Tommy Zaferes: My pleasure!

ST: What I first noticed about you is that you are a 2008 Olympic Trials swimmer.

Tommy: You didn’t notice my ravishing good looks? That’s OK. Yeah, after 16 years of competitive swimming I finished off my career by swimming the 200m and 100m Butterfly at the trials. Unfortunately, I came down with a really bad sinus infection two weeks out and that pretty much messed up my training leading into the event. I wasn’t able to put my head under water because it felt like knives were going into my head, and I couldn’t take anything to clear it up because it was on the USADA no-no list. I ended up finishing the meet with a below average result.

ST: How much of your life did you commit to that?

Tommy: Enough to start sweating chlorine! I basically put everything else on hold: social life, vacations, hobbies, etc. From 2004 to 2008 I was swimming an average of 20 hours a week. I would train about 80-100k yards a week and the majority was Butterfly.

ST: What type of dedication does it take to swim at that level?

Tommy: The kind of dedication that would make Chuck Norris cry like a baby! In 2006 when I finished college I started working in the produce department at a grocery store. For a while I even worked a midnight down shift where I would work from midnight to 4:45am, clock out an extended lunch to go swim at morning practice from 5-6:30am, then go back to work from 6:45-10am. I would sleep during the day until afternoon practice, swim from 4:30-7pm then nap again before heading back to work at midnight. It wasn’t constantly like that, but I did have to pull stints like that to be able to train full time while working.

ST: I heard you also mention that you took a break from swimming to skateboard in Australia?

Tommy: In 2001, when I was 15, I was completely over swimming and 110% into skateboarding and surfing. I decided to take a break from swimming and just skateboard a bunch. I ended up getting an opportunity to travel to Australia for a few weeks to help put on contests, teach camps, and put on demos. When I came home I ended up getting injured and after a month of not doing any activity my mom told me I had too much energy and needed to start swimming again.

ST: So after the let down with the 2008 trials where does that leave you in life?

Tommy: I retired from swimming right after trials and started coaching swimming full time while still working in the produce department. After taking a break from sport, and not doing any type of training (except skateboarding and surfing) I decided to buy a bike. It was a 1986 steel framed Fuso that I was planning on using as transportation and a way to “stay in shape”.

ST: And a triathlon was just something you wanted to give a try once?

Tommy: Yeah, the week after I bought my bike there was a local triathlon that everyone was telling me I should race. I decided to give it a go without even knowing the order of a triathlon. All I knew was that I had a bike, I knew how to swim, and I’ve been walking since I was one – How hard could it be? My parents bought me my first pair of running shoes the day before the race (I was planning on running in skate shoes) and even though I had no clue what I was doing, I finished off the day 10th out of over a 1,000 people. The local newspaper ended up doing an article on me (at the time I was only planning on doing THIS race every year) and they asked me “What are your goals for the future?” I told them “My goal is to win next year, and in two years I’m going to set the course record!” Right after I said to myself “Crap, now I’m going to have to train.”

ST: How did you make the jump from being the fastest guy around town to competing at big pro races and also in the ITU?

Tommy: Well, I ended up racing that same race again in 2009 after not doing any training for a year and I ended up crashing into the race-leader van about 1 mile into the bike. A cop thought the van was a car that wasn’t supposed to be on the course and stepped out into the intersection to stop it. I had my head down hammering and when I peeked up the van came to a screeching halt and I had nowhere to go except straight into the back of it at about 25-30MPH. After that incident I contacted 2004 Olympian triathlete Victor Plata who is from my hometown of Santa Cruz and asked him what to do about the situation. Vic then became my coach and helped me learn all about the sport; after a few months of training he sent me to my 3rd triathlon where I earned my pro card in March of 2010 at an Elite Development Race in Clermont, FL.

ST: I understand you had a run of bad luck starting out though.

Tommy: Big time! I got food poisoning at my first race as a pro in Mazatlan, Mexico; my bike was damaged, in my hard cased bike box, by TSA going through it and putting it back together incorrectly resulting in my stem going through my top tube; cut my foot very badly on the swim exit stairs; separated my shoulder mountain biking training for XTERRA Santa Cruz; got my mountain bike stolen out of my car because I couldn’t take it out due to my separated shoulder; did an extra lap on the bike at an ITU race; was kicked in the head during the swim at Nationals and had to pull out after making the lead pack on the bike; flats, mechanicals… you get the idea.

ST: But then that all changed when 2-time Olympic medalist Bevan Docherty moved into your town

Tommy: Having Bevan move to my hometown has been the greatest thing for my career! At first I wasn’t able to train with him other than swimming because I was so new to the sport, also I crashed on our second bike ride together which was a pretty awesome way to introduce myself to one of triathlon’s greatest athletes, but after I built up some strength and consistency in my training we started getting together for more and more workouts. At the end of 2011 I started coaching myself and doing the majority of my training with him. I look up to Bevan a lot, mainly because he’s taller than me, but also because he is a huge mentor in my life. I’ve learned so much from him over the past few months and he has really helped me get focused and ready to race at the next level. Another huge benefit is the contacts he has and the people I have met through him; not only do I get to train and learn from a two-time Olympic medalist, I also get to train and learn from Paul “Barny” Matthews, Will Smith, and Matt Chrabot!

ST: Obviously the swimming is no problem for you, how much work did it take to strengthen your abilities on the bike and run?

Tommy: On the bike was pretty quick because I could increase the volume quite a bit without getting hurt, but running is taking a bit more time. Only in the last couple months have I been able to stick to a solid running program, see some solid times, and not get injured.

ST: When was the first moment where you realized ‘I made it’?

Tommy: I’ll let you know! Well, a big confidence boost was when I got a chance to raise the finish tape at The San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz and then a few weeks later at Pacific Grove. Winning those races helped me realize that bad luck isn’t forever, and that hard work, perseverance, and preparation WILL pay off. I was also thankful that my bad luck string had moved on by the time I got to the Myrtle Beach Elite Series Finale (sorry Hunter) and I was able to finish off the season with a 2nd place finish to Jarrod Shoemaker and take home some much needed ITU points, which were the first I have gotten in my career.

ST: To me there always seems to be a Catch-22 when triathletes first break into the professional level. They have to train full time to compete but usually aren’t making much money from racing yet.

Tommy: Yeah, it is definitely frustrating trying to make ends meet while getting a proper amount of training, fueling, and recovery in. I just recently quit my job coaching swimming full time to go 100% into triathlon. It’s very nerve wracking because I have zero income now and I’m trying to pay rent, cell phone, internet, travel and lodging for ITU races (which have very small prize money), gas, food, etc. It’s a scary thing to be living off my savings and watching my bank account get lower and lower. Having the 2016 Olympics as your #1 goal is exciting, but not financially beneficial. Thanks to Diaa Nour, Specialized, Family Cycling Center, BlueSeventy, PowerBar, Rudy Project, Run Revolution, and Champion Systems I am able to train and race on the best equipment and apparel on the market! I would not be able to be a triathlete without the products they provide.

ST: What’s on your schedule moving forward?

Tommy: This week I’m headed to Europe where I will be living and racing for 2.5 months. Kris Gemmell who trained in Santa Cruz for a bit last year sent some emails and got me on a Division 1 French Grand Prix team. Thanks to him I will be able to develop myself as a draft legal triathlete much quicker than I expected in preparation of my long term goal -making the 2016 US Olympic team. Ideally, I’ll have a few more solid ITU results and can get on the WTS circuit where I’ll be able to continue developing myself by racing the best ITU triathletes in the world.

ST: I wish you the best of luck racing in Europe. Represent California well!

Tommy: Thanks a lot, I will do my best! SC PRIDE!!

Tommy posts race reports and blog entries on his webpage at: http://www.tommyzaferes.com/home.html