ASU swim and dive is a hot spot for global talent. With 16 global recruits representing both their home and Sun Devil maroon and gold, the program takes pride in carrying the legacy of past swimmers and welcoming many more.
The University has been given the opportunity to have such international talent compete in their pool as ASU is a stepping stone in giving international athletes a chance to represent their countries.
Head coach Herbie Behm finds fulfillment in learning about foreign athletes and how competing in the United States is beneficial for them and their careers.
"I really like learning the different cultures of swimming and how they do things because it's all much different," Behm said. "The biggest thing is there's no team environment in any other country in swimming except the United States ... I think that's why they get so much development because they see it as this team thing and they actually experience working together as a team."
Athletes coming to swim in the desert, many who've gained Olympic experience, help capture the eyes of many others worldwide who may consider ASU.
"Having as many people swimming at the highest level possible helps, and it doesn't necessarily matter where you're from," Behm said. "Having people from all different countries represented at all these high-level meets that are all over the world in the summertime and then coming back and being on the same team here is something that's really special."
Behm put a spotlight on some of the global talent that is currently on his roster. Sophomore Ilya Kharun won two bronze medals for Canada at the summer Olympics, freshman Julia Ullmann swam in the European Championships representing Switzerland, senior Tiago Behar swam for Switzerland in the recent Olympics and freshman Tolu Young also competed in the Olympics but for Fiji.
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He also mentioned senior Charli Brown, who is from Australia, and sophomore Filip Senc-Samardzic, who comes from Canada. Both haven't seen competition quite as intense as the rest but have been key swimmers this season.
Brown is one of the veteran talents from outside the States and in her time as a Sun Devil has become a prime example of a student-athlete who benefits from swimming away from home. A commonality between everyone is the pleasure international and national students get from immersing each other in their worlds.
To have that connection as a team means learning everyone's way of training, their values and their stories.
"It's so special," Brown said. "We have a lot of cultures brought together which is always cool to learn more about each other and our hometowns."
Brown sees having so many wide-ranging swimmers as a plus because it means she can form new friendships from different corners of the world. Building these lifelong connections means visiting each other once their college athletics careers are over and traveling together.
Sophomore Miriam Sheehan is one of many American swimmers who sees the joy in welcoming teammates like Brown. She believes one of the calling factors of ASU is not pointing out their differences but embracing their similarities.
"I feel like there's a seamless blending," Sheehan said. "Rather than, 'hey, you're this person from a different country,' it’s more of an approach of, 'you're a swimmer that's only for Arizona State' … Everyone does a really good job in relating over swimming and being a teammate."
Sheehan and Brown also talked about how the welcoming process includes learning American customs. Brown shared how some of the best memories come from learning about American culture by experiencing holiday traditions she's unfamiliar with. Sheehan finds these moments to be humorous and fun.
"The whole culture here is obviously so different," Brown said. "Experiencing that with the Americans and them showing us what they enjoy is really cool."
The Sun Devils have grown grateful for all the worldwide talent that's passed through the program, such as recent five-time Olympic medalist Léon Marchand.
The program is influenced by past ASU swimmers from around the world as they want to stay involved with the team by giving back and coming to check in on the swimmers. The encouragement of alumni helps the team to continue to master their craft.
"Their experiences and the way they talk so highly about ASU and their time here makes us want to do our best to continue that, and do it for them and each other," Brown said.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Abigail Beck and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at linunez@asu.edu and follow @laurentahuka on X.
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