BROWN Erika

General
COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
Between 2016 and 2020 she competed and studied at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, United States of America. Speaking in 2020 she noted that those years were pivotal in her swimming career. "Each year at Tennessee I had I grew into a better athlete and a better teammate. I don't think I ever would have even gotten to the level I am without collegiate swimming. It really challenges you in so many more ways than just swimming as a club swimmer. You really have to learn how to work as a team; it's not all about you anymore you have to put energy into others." (teamusa.org, 14 Sep 2020; swimswam.com, 2020)

GRADUATION SPECIAL
Graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2020 she did not have a traditional graduation ceremony due to the COVID-19-related restrictions. She did, however, appear in YouTube's 'Dear Class of 2020' graduation special in June 2020 alongside celebrities such as former US President Barack Obama, US artist Beyonce and US businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates. "I thought it was a joke. It was just such a neat opportunity I didn't think it was possible, but it was real, and I was just super honoured to be able to be a part of something. I thought it was so nice of them to even be doing that video to try and help honour the class of 2020 considering everything that happened." (teamusa.org, 14 Sep 2020)

REAL ESTATE
She says that practising real estate is a passion of hers, however she decided to put it on hold while preparing for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "It has been really fun, but I'm taking a break. I did two deals and I'm taking a break right now because the market is crazy. So I won't be doing deals before the Olympics I'm staying focused on swimming but it's definitely a nice thing to fall back on and just to do in my free time." (wvlt.tv, 28 Jun 2021)