Tim Newton was a member of the Emory University men's swimming and diving program from 2003-2007, helping the Eagles to four top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships including back-to-back national runner-up efforts in 2004 and 2005. Newton, who captured the first-ever national championship in team history in the 500 Freestyle in 2006, secured at least two All-America honors during each of his four seasons, ending his career with 10 All-America certificates which placed him sixth all-time in program history at the time. Upon graduation, Tim held school records in three different events: 200 Freestyle (1:40.12), 500 Freestyle (4:26.00) and 1,650 Freestyle (15.44.19) and was a two-time University Athletic Association champion and five-time All-UAA performer. A standout in the classroom as well, Tim was selected as a Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-American as a senior and the recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship following his career.
Question: Can you tell us what your occupation is and where you are currently living?
Tim Newton: I live in Eldersburg, Maryland, about 45 minutes outside of Baltimore. I am a physical therapist who specializes in orthopedics and hands on treatments to help people with pain and with a number of other health conditions. I have been practicing for 10 years and have owned my own specialty practice for the last two of them.
Q: Can you give an update on some of your experiences post-Emory to where you are now?
TN: Right after graduating Emory I went to the University of Delaware to get my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Those were a tough three years, but I survived! My clinical rotations took me to different places in the country, including an Indian Reservation in Arizona which was an interesting experience. After school I returned to my home state in Maryland and started working in orthopedics in a private practice and my career pretty much started its journey from there.
Q: What were the primary reasons in choosing Emory as your college destination?
TN: I think at that time, I knew I wanted to swim throughout college, and valued strong academics. I was also looking to get away from home and explore the world a bit. After meeting Jon [Howell] and the swim team on my recruiting visit, I was hooked. The warm weather certainly didn't hurt either!
Q: Reflections upon your time at Emory, both as a member of the swim team and as a student
TN: Wow, where do I begin? Those 4 years at Emory were the foundation of who I am today. In school, swimming, and in my social life, I grew so much. All in one place I had such an amazing opportunity to get a good education, better myself as an athlete, and be around some really remarkable people. Now, I'm in my 30s, and I see the difference the Emory experience afforded me. I should say though, that wouldn't be true had I not put forth the effort. Today I feel like I have a worldview based on a solid education, which gives me a peace of mind in a sometimes crazy world. But I never would have had that if I didn't work hard in all my classes to learn new things and challenge my assumptions. The same was true with my athletic pursuits in the pool and in my relationships. I learned that by working hard and trying my best to improve in these areas, I would be the best athlete and person I could possibly be, and there are no regrets after that. So I think Emory taught me the value of seizing opportunities that come along, giving them your absolute best, and the dividends they pay later in life. I am so grateful for this.
Q: Can you name any people that made a big influence on you during your time at Emory?
TN: There are so many. I can think of several professors that truly went above and beyond to challenge me and made me all the better for it. My coaches were great leaders as well. But I think the most influential person during my time there was my roommate of 3 years, Andrew Callam. Andrew was a man well beyond his years in his demeanor, sensitivity, understanding, intelligence, and wisdom. I learned so much from him, and all of it was by his quiet example (which in itself was a lesson). It was really just luck that I ended up roommates with him too. We are still close friends to this day.
Q: Your junior season was a standout one, capped off with three All-America honors including a national championship in the 500 Freestyle, the first-ever in that event in program history, and two school records. What are some things you still remember fondly from that national meet?
TN: I remember being physically ready for that meet. My training that year had gone very well, and as we gradually tapered our training yardage down to rest our bodies in the weeks before the meet, I got to a point two days before the meet where I didn't feel like I needed to sleep. I remember lying in bed all night, totally relaxed, but awake. I think I might have slept one hour, but the next morning I felt great. I knew my body was ready then.
What I do recall from that 500 race was that this one guy from Denison had jumped out to such a large lead ahead of the field, that in the middle of the race I was telling myself "Well, I guess we aren't winning it this year...". But I stuck to my strategy and then started feeling like I might catch up to him. I think I got even with him with 50 yards to go, and it was just a dogfight from there to the finish. There was a lot of pain and self-talk on those last few yards, and it was getting loud in the auditorium. I won by 0.15 seconds, for a four and half minute race.
Q: You had an impressive swimming career, highlighted by 10 All-America honors, one national championship, CoSIDA Academic All-America award and was a recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship – Can you describe how you were able to balance swimming and your academics at such a high level?
TN: Balancing all those things could be a challenge, but I had a lot of great student athletes around me all the time that helped me a lot. The Emory Swimming and Diving culture of strong academics and athletics really carried me through those four years.
Q: Are there any other highlights (team, individual or other) that you remember while swimming at Emory?
TN: During my time there, we finished in the top 3 on the men's side each year, which I am very proud of. I was there for the women's first championship, which was really cool to see. I miss the rafting trips, Jon's monotonous (and somewhat sadistic) morning lane assignments on the bus during our training trips, and all the Blue-Gold competitions. Too many memories to list, but the best race I ever swam was a 500 free my junior year in the Blue-Gold meet. Nick Lake of the blue team pushed me to limits I never knew were possible and we had an incredible neck-and-neck race. There was nothing at stake except pride and the thrill of racing. I will never forget that.
Q: How are you surviving the pandemic and how has it affected you?
TN: Fortunately for me, physical therapy is an essential service. So I have been able to leave the house and go to work. But it's hard not seeing my friends and family. I am exercising a bit more, and getting more time with my kids, so thankfully I am doing ok!
Q: Any interests/hobbies or things you do to relax when away from work?
TN: I wish I had a good answer! Life for me is crazy now with having my own small business and two little ones under the age of three. It's a crazy time in life right now and I try to embrace all the precious moments.
Q: How did you begin your swimming career? How old were you?
TN: I was 9 years old. My mom decided she was tired of constantly watching my brothers and me at the beach and wanted us to become strong swimmers. She signed us up for the local swim team, and I was so bad at it. I remember getting out of the pool and crying to my mom that the coach told us to do nine lengths of the pool one day in practice, which was a lot for me. She wouldn't have any of it, turned me around, and told me to get my rear-end back in that pool. The rest is history.
Q: Do you still swim much nowadays?
TN: Sadly, not much at all. It's more of a time issue with life being so crazy right now. I'd like to get back in the water one of these days. Every time I get back in the water, all those old memories of good times come back and I think of my old teammates.
Q: Any former teammates that you are in contact with?
TN: I keep in touch with several. Mostly my own classmates, but some folks from other classes as well. It's always a joy talking to them and seeing where they are in life. Some of the guys from the class of '07 (my class) get together about once a year somewhere in the country, and that's something I always look forward to.
Q: Are you able to keep up with Emory swimming & diving?
TN: Not very well, but I always tune in when nationals come around. I love seeing how talented the team has become compared to in our day.
Q: Is there anything that you take from being a student-athlete into your profession?
TN: I think just discipline, and experience trying to balance multiple commitments in life. Also the patience to work at something every day over a period of years to better yourself.
Q: Any advice you would give Emory students/future grads?
TN: Just make the most of every day you have at Emory. Some days will be better than others, but just try to work hard and be the best you can be. It takes a serious attitude some of the time, but when you leave Emory you will be so enriched and have no regrets. That was my experience.
Q: Any other items you would like to add?
TN: I am married with two kids. I love being a husband and a dad. It's the ultimate experience in life!
Tim currently lives in Eldersburg, MD with his wife and children and currently runs his own physical therapy practice which specializes in orthopedics and hands on treatments