NC State’s Katharine Berkoff accomplishes ‘life-long dream’ going to Paris Olympic games

From the moment Katharine Berkoff learned what her father, David, did at the international level in swimming, she wanted to do the same. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a former 100-meter backstroke world record holder, and that set a bar for Berkoff to try to reach. 

Berkoff, like her father, has excelled in backstroke — looking to reach the same heights he did. But in her first real attempt at making Team USA, Berkoff came up just short in the 100-meter backstroke.

The Missoula, Mont., native finished fourth in the U.S. Olympic Trials ahead of the Tokyo games. That left a sour taste in Berkoff’s mouth, but instead of dwelling on it, she used it as motivation. 

Berkoff learned a lot about herself through the disappointment, which included a change in her frame of mind in the pool.

“I learned what I needed to do to secure my spot safely on the team,” Berkoff said. “Also, [I learned] that I need to approach competition with a better mindset … so it’s not so cut throat in my mind. I do something because I like it and not because I have to do it. Just trying to fix everything the way I look around swimming.”

Berkoff trained her way to improvement. She turned into a five-time ACC champion in 100-yard backstroke and a three-time NCAA individual champion at NC State, looking to swim her way to the top of the world. Her newfound mindset helped in her trip to the trials this month. 

NC State’s backstroke star finished second in the event, punching her ticket to Paris — a moment Berkoff dreamed of finally came true. 

“I was so relieved just because this has been a life-long dream,” Berkoff said. “Missing it by a little bit three years ago was really hard. … I think I was a little scared of reliving emotions like that, but I was so relieved when I saw I hit the wall second.”

Her relief was for good reason, but NC State coach Braden Holloway appeared to have a good idea that Berkoff would be able to swim her way into the Olympic games. Her past experience at the trials bred the internal competition that Berkoff could use for three straight years, and the coach was confident she had a chance to make the squad this time around.

“Three years ago, she went to that meet hoping that she would get it done. This time around, she went to the meet knowing she was going to get it done,” said Holloway, who will accompany Berkoff on Team USA as an assistant coach. “A lot of times in swimming, it’s a sport where it’s a grind … but the amount of days she’s had a bad workout are very far and few in between since three years ago. I think she walked in a lot more confident because even on her bad days, she’s been really good.”

Berkoff’s rise to the Olympic team is rather symbolic of what she was able to do in Raleigh. Holloway, who joined the program 13 years ago, dreamed of sending a woman to the Olympic games. 

Well, now, he helped develop Berkoff into that athlete he wanted to build the program into more than a decade ago.

“She’s a program changer,” Holloway said. “Not just what she does in the pool, she’s one of the most fun student-athletes that I’ve ever recruited. … Watching her grow and mature within our program and lifting it up, we were able to do things that we’ve never done with her here.”

NC State didn’t have a women’s swimming national championship before Berkoff arrived. Now it has four with the backstroke extraordinaire having a hand in all of them. 

That is what drove Berkoff to NC State, though she could have gone to other power programs around the country. Instead, she wanted to pave the way for the future. 

Berkoff did just that. 

“We had a vision that we could do something that we’ve never done before, like win a national title,” Berkoff said. “You could go somewhere else where they’ve already done it, but it’s pretty special to be part of the first group of people that does it. … It’s been really cool to be a part of changing the program.”

Now, as Berkoff prepares for the biggest moment of her swimming career at the Paris Olympics, enjoying the moment remains at the top of her priorities. Obviously a gold medal is up there, too, but she thought staying loose would lead to success on the world stage.

“I’ve always wanted to win gold, I’m not going to lie, that’s the main goal,” Berkoff said. “But to get there, it will be to just try to enjoy my experience. … I’m going to try and relax and have fun. I think that’ll help me go faster.”

Berkoff and Team USA will open training camp next week in Cary, N.C., for 10 days before boarding a plane bound for Croatia for another 10-day stint. From there, the Americans will arrive in Paris and race their way to Olympic glory. 

And when Berkoff returns from France, rising to what her father was able to do in his swimming career, there is a milestone the two will accomplish together: receiving their Olympic ring tattoos. David Berkoff never got one after his two trips, but with his daughter joining the elite company in the family, the two will sit in a tattoo chair to forge a bond that will last forever.