Attorney Kevin Bandy Cites Swimming as Reason For Success
April 23, 2020 | Swimming & Diving
Bandy reflects on his career on the podcast with Kameron Chastain
Watch the podcast here!
Louisville, Ky – The third installment of Where Are They Now features 2013 graduate and Cardinal Forever Kevin Bandy. He joined former teammate and swimming and diving assistant coach Kameron Chastain to talk about the importance of academics, share what he is doing now and reflect on his time at UofL.
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"It was very clearly a place where everyone wants you to succeed… the entire city embraces every student-athlete," Bandy said when sharing why he chose UofL.
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Academics were always important to Bandy. He came to Louisville driven and striving for a political science degree. Although he didn't initially know where it would lead after UofL, Bandy continued to work hard and chose to focus on law and public policy. This led him on a journey to law school in Cincinnati and ultimately to his job as an attorney at Blank Rome in the Queen City. Bandy says his time at Louisville paired with law school helped prepare him for the court room and made him "better, tighter and sharper" in his arguments.
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From the moment he stepped on campus, Bandy knew UofL was the place for him. When discussing his recruiting process, he said "there was just something that felt different," that drew him in. "Everyone very clearly wants you to be the best you can be." The family atmosphere is felt by everyone that attends UofL and Bandy was no different. He said, "I'm still talking to my classmates or former teammates all day, every day. A lot of people talk about the family feeling, but it's actually real."
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Bandy credits his time at Louisville for helping to prepare him for life after college. He said, "Basically every job interview I've ever been too one of the first questions they ask me is 'What was it like being a Division I swimmer?'" He says UofL taught him skills like how to focus on details, how to keep working hard when you don't want to, how to push yourself to the limits and how to deal with adversity, which have helped him in the long run.
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Looking back on his time as a Cardinal, Bandy notes the change he sees in the team and program today.
"It's a totally different sport now. The Marshall Center had just opened up. They weren't even allowed to give us food or peanut butter after lifting. The sport and the team in general have just taken off so quickly."
Advice he would give to the team during this tough time is to "just hang in there."
H"Don't take it for granted, these times are awesome times. You guys are doing something really special, and it's obvious to everybody," said Bandy.
Bandy's message to recruits is his favorite story from his time on the team.
"It was 2011 and Arthur (Albiero) had announced this crazy goal that he wanted to have 30 people make the Olympic Trials and I decided that I wanted to be one of those 30. I trained throughout the summer and got to sectionals in Athens, Georgia. It was the very first day, swam prelims and I missed it by a half second, came back that night and I missed it by a half second again. I said I'm going to time-trial again in the morning and missed it by a half second again. Came back for a fourth try and finally got it and getting to celebrate that with the teammates and the coaches that were there left me speechless." He said, "Dreaming big and fighting to accomplish the goal is the perfect embodiment of what is going on."
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Louisville, Ky – The third installment of Where Are They Now features 2013 graduate and Cardinal Forever Kevin Bandy. He joined former teammate and swimming and diving assistant coach Kameron Chastain to talk about the importance of academics, share what he is doing now and reflect on his time at UofL.
Â
"It was very clearly a place where everyone wants you to succeed… the entire city embraces every student-athlete," Bandy said when sharing why he chose UofL.
Â
Academics were always important to Bandy. He came to Louisville driven and striving for a political science degree. Although he didn't initially know where it would lead after UofL, Bandy continued to work hard and chose to focus on law and public policy. This led him on a journey to law school in Cincinnati and ultimately to his job as an attorney at Blank Rome in the Queen City. Bandy says his time at Louisville paired with law school helped prepare him for the court room and made him "better, tighter and sharper" in his arguments.
Â
From the moment he stepped on campus, Bandy knew UofL was the place for him. When discussing his recruiting process, he said "there was just something that felt different," that drew him in. "Everyone very clearly wants you to be the best you can be." The family atmosphere is felt by everyone that attends UofL and Bandy was no different. He said, "I'm still talking to my classmates or former teammates all day, every day. A lot of people talk about the family feeling, but it's actually real."
Â
Bandy credits his time at Louisville for helping to prepare him for life after college. He said, "Basically every job interview I've ever been too one of the first questions they ask me is 'What was it like being a Division I swimmer?'" He says UofL taught him skills like how to focus on details, how to keep working hard when you don't want to, how to push yourself to the limits and how to deal with adversity, which have helped him in the long run.
Â
Looking back on his time as a Cardinal, Bandy notes the change he sees in the team and program today.
"It's a totally different sport now. The Marshall Center had just opened up. They weren't even allowed to give us food or peanut butter after lifting. The sport and the team in general have just taken off so quickly."
Advice he would give to the team during this tough time is to "just hang in there."
H"Don't take it for granted, these times are awesome times. You guys are doing something really special, and it's obvious to everybody," said Bandy.
Bandy's message to recruits is his favorite story from his time on the team.
"It was 2011 and Arthur (Albiero) had announced this crazy goal that he wanted to have 30 people make the Olympic Trials and I decided that I wanted to be one of those 30. I trained throughout the summer and got to sectionals in Athens, Georgia. It was the very first day, swam prelims and I missed it by a half second, came back that night and I missed it by a half second again. I said I'm going to time-trial again in the morning and missed it by a half second again. Came back for a fourth try and finally got it and getting to celebrate that with the teammates and the coaches that were there left me speechless." He said, "Dreaming big and fighting to accomplish the goal is the perfect embodiment of what is going on."
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