Redshirt senior Stephen Mellor has enjoyed success at NC State. The England native holds three school records and is excited about the upcoming season. He took time to talk with theACC.com about the differences between Raleigh and Chester, advice from coaches, and training after his freshman year with Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones.
What is something that most people don't know about you?
I'm really in to karaoke. I'm in to getting up on stage and singing some classic songs, to my friends usually. I like to sing anything by Elton John.
Quick Facts
Favorite Movie: Good Will Hunting
Favorite Pregame Music: Fatboy Slim
Favorite Pregame Meal: Chicken Carbonara
Favorite Place on Campus: Willis R. Casey Aquatic Center |
When and how did you start swimming competitively? I started swimming competitively when I was eight years old. I learned to swim when I was four, and started competing when I was eight. I started because of my sister. She was getting pretty good at a young age. She's two years older than me, so she was always ahead of me until I was 13 or 14. Then I overtook her and never looked back.
Did you play any other sports in high school?
I played soccer competitively until I was 17 or 18. I also played basketball and ran cross country.
(Swimming) chose me. It was a pretty easy choice to make in the end. Although I wanted to pursue soccer, with it being English ball, and all I ever wanted to do was play soccer, in the end I started having a lot of success swimming around the age of 14 or 15 and it picked me in the end. It was the smart option, rather than playing soccer and not being as successful in the end.
Did you swim any national-level meets?
I swam in several national meets when I was younger. When I was 19, I swam on the British team at European Championships. I've done a lot of national and I've gotten to go around Europe and do some international meets as well. Pretty much all of that was before I got to NC State. Ever since I've been here, I haven't been able to stay in the British setup, so I've put all my eggs in the NC State basket.
Why did you choose NC State?
A guy that was working with the swim team (at NC State) in 2005 actually swam at Florida State with a guy that I was swimming with back home in England. They swam together in the late 1990's I think. They started talking about me, and the next thing I knew, NC State was on the phone with me and the rest was history.
What is the biggest difference between Chester and Raleigh?
The general way of life and the people. Everyone in Raleigh is really laid back and always willing to stop what they're doing and help out. I remember when I first got to campus, I did not know what I was doing or where I was going. People would always stop and help me out. That's what I really noticed when I got here. Where I'm from is a bigger city, more like Charlotte. Raleigh suits me down to the ground. I'm a very laid back person, so I like the way of life here in Raleigh as opposed to the way of life in (Chester).
What do you do when you're not in the pool?
I am always hanging out with someone else on the swim team. We play video games, watch football or basketball on TV. The guys' team here at NC State is really close, like a brotherhood. If we're not together in the pool, then we'll be together somewhere else. Everything I do is focused around the guys on the swim team.
What do you want to do after college?
I'm starting to think about swim coaching. I never really was interested in pursuing it at all until I got over here and was exposed to college swimming. College coaching is something I want to do for a little while. I'm looking to possibly become a graduate assistant here at NC State next year, and start doing some coaching that way. That is, unless my swimming takes off this year and I have the opportunity to become a professional.
Who is your most influential role model?
My dad. I could name 10 different athletes that have motivated me, but my dad is someone actually in my life. He has always had a way of making me realize I'm not as good as I think I am. There are always people better than me. He taught me to never quit on my goals and to always give everything I've got in practice. He put that attitude in me very early and never let me forget it.
What is your most memorable moment in your swimming career?
That would be the first time I swam at NC State. I had to sit out my entire freshman year after coming over from England. I had to wait 12 months. It took a lot of patience, but it also built up a lot of adrenaline and excitement for when I actually got to swim. I wasn't necessarily happy with the way I swam for NC State the first time, but I was thrilled to actually be swimming. It is something I'll never forget.
What is the best advice you have ever received from a coach?
The best advice was from my last coach in England on the importance of consistency in practice. A lot of people, some days they'll be off, some days they'll be on. He just said that every day in practice, make sure you do something that makes you better. I've been at NC State now for three years. That's something I try to pass on to the freshmen. Don't come in and have one good day and one bad day, take a week and try to make every practice worthwhile and develop consistency. The more consistent you are in practice, the more consistent you'll be in a race.
How was it being on the team with Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones?
Well, my first year here was his senior year. We got to know each other pretty well. We spent a lot of time together the summer after he finished swimming for NC State. We would train together almost every day. We put in a lot of hard work, before he hit the big time.
I have talked to him a couple times since the Olympics. He's been back in Raleigh and we've caught up. He's a very busy man now, he's gone "Hollywood." He's in the public eye a lot more. He's the sort of guy that it won't faze him. He knows how to use that. He's not taking advantage of it for his own use; he's doing a lot for the community and for swimming as a sport. He's become a real ambassador of the sport. And it's great that his name will always be linked to NC State. His name will be up on the wall (at NC State) as Olympic champion, and it will be forever. He's a good guy to know, and a great guy to have in the history of NC State.
What are some of your individual goals for the season?
I want to get as much out of it as I can. Last year there was a lot of disappointment with my season. I feel like I should have come away from (the ACC Championship) with a couple of gold medals, but I let them slip out of my hand in the last 10 yards of races. It is a bad thing that it happened, but it has driven me to work harder this summer and set myself up for my senior year. I'm looking to go to ACCs and win a couple of gold medals and then go to NCAAs and see what happens. I went to the NCAAs last year and it was a great experience, but I want to go back and make my mark on it. Maybe even finish with the same kind of senior year that Cullen Jones had.
Stephen and the Wolfpack will be back in action on Thursday, November 20 at the Maryland Invitational.
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