While many college freshmen tend to put on weight, Indiana University freshman swimmer Adam Destrampe is the complete opposite.
“He’s looks fit as a fiddle now,” Hoosiers coach Ray Looze said. “He’s a chiseled Greek god right now. I wouldn’t say that the first time I laid eyes on him when he stepped on deck. He changed his diet around a little bit.
“A lot of time the dorm food doesn’t do that to you, but for whatever he’s gone the other direction.”
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The 6-foot, 170-pound Destrampe, a 2015 Franklin Community High School graduate, said he has lost 15 pounds since arriving on campus in August.
“You don’t want to carry too much (weight) in our sport,” Looze said. “You want to be lean and lanky. It’s a credit to him; he’s worked really hard.”
Destrampe said it has definitely made him pick up speed.
“I’ve already dropped five seconds from my personal best in the 500-yard freestyle,” Destrampe said. “I went 15:21 in my mile, which was way faster than my previous best time. So I’ve definitely made a lot of progress in my main events.”
Destrampe still swims in the 200-yard free but is concentrating on the 500, 1,000 and mile freestyle events. Destrampe, who finished third in the 200 free and fifth in the 500 free at the IHSAA state meet as a senior, said he’s never been a true sprinter.
The competition from his teammate has helped push him.
“Having people faster than I am in practice, and I’m able to race them, has been a help,” he said.
Destrampe said he is ahead of where he expected to be right now.
“Adam was really well prepared for this level of swimming,” Looze said. “I’m really pleased with how quickly Adam has adapted to the training. Give credit to (Franklin) coach (Zach) DeWitt and his staff for doing a great job with him in high school.
“We’ve thrown Adam right into the fray, and he hasn’t blinked.”
Looze said Destrampe has put himself in a great position to make the Big Ten team. The Hoosiers take 24 swimmers from their roster of about 40 to the Big Ten Championships at Purdue on Feb. 24 to 27.
Destrampe’s goal is to score at the Big Ten Championships. Destrampe’s time goals are to 4:20 in the 500, 9:10 in the 1,000 and 15:07 in the mile.
Academics and swimming have been Destrampe’s main focus.
“I came to college without a TV or any video games because I knew they would distract me,” Destrampe said. “I have not played any video games or watched TV since I’ve been here.”
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Name: Adam Destrampe
College: Indiana University
Sport: Swimming
Year: Freshman
Born: July 3, 1997
Major: Chemistry
Of note: Younger brother Jacob is a freshman on Franklin’s swimming team. His sister, Kyra, 8, has just started swimming. As a junior in the state high school meet, Destrampe was third in the 200 free and fourth in 500 free. He was fifth in the state meet in the 500 free as a sophomore.
Why did you choose IU?: “I like the team atmosphere and the overall atmosphere of working hard and the coaching staff. And, of course, I loved the campus. They have a really good chemistry program, too.”
Favorite class: Chemistry lab
Favorite type of music: Hip hop
What do you do to relax? Take a nap
Favorite video game: “Call of Duty”
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