MOTIVATIONAL MONDAYS // LIZ ROBERTS
Once again we have to brag about our amazing sales reps and the incredible things they do outside of Jolyn. This week we are featuring our very own Liz Roberts! Liz is our sales rep for Georgia and the surrounding areas. Liz is a designer/ mixed media artist and a 2 time US OlympicTrials qualifier. We are really excited to cheer her on as she competes next summer in Omaha!! Follow Liz's journey as she prepares for Trials!! @lizTroberts
Be sure to follow JOLYN SOUTH on Instagram for show locations and dates: @JolynSouth
"I grew up in Virginia, but it feels more like I grew up in the water. In the summer especially, I spent every day as a kid either swimming for the local summer league or going to the Chesapeake Bay with my family, where I sailed, water skied, kayaked—basically anything that kept me in the water. I swam competitively year-round, too.
College was where I really came into my own. I’m so glad I listened to my creative side, because pursuing my love of art brought me to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. There I not only earned my BFA with honors in motion media design, but I also joined the swim team and started becoming the athlete I am today. While I was at SCAD I earned 13 All-American titles, won NAIA nationals, and set school, BCM Conference, and NAIA records. My college career at SCAD—both creatively and athletically—was a huge milestone in my life.
After undergrad, though, I realized I was still capable of more. Academically, this meant pursuing my MFA in graphic design, which I earned in 2014. Physically, it meant joining the Savannah Swim Team to work toward my dream of qualifying for and competing in the Olympic Trials. I’m proud and amazed to say that I achieved my goal within a year—in 2012, I competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials!
Today I still get to do what I love. As a designer, I get to communicate and express myself in ways that go beyond words. I’m inspired by exploration, discovery, and all around adventure, and I love trying to convey that excitement through my art. And as an athlete, my love for racing is still going strong. I compete at the international level for Savannah Swim Team (SST) and was ranked top 100 in the world for breaststroke this past spring. I can hardly believe it, but I’ll also be returning to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June 2016! This journey has had its difficult moments for sure, but it’s also been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life—and it’s not over yet.
Through Jolyn, I get to unite my love of water and my love of design—I think that’s why becoming a rep for this company felt totally natural and crazy exciting at the same time! I’m thrilled to become a part of the awesome Jolyn squad. I love what they represent—“for women who inspire us”—and I’m so honored to be with such a great, inspirational team of women."
What is your favorite dryland workout: Olympic lifting, because I can see progress with each exercise. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the pool and it works on my speed. Also pull-ups! I do sets of max with increasing weight. I am constantly setting new goals for pull-ups and abs—those are two exercises I never skip!
What is your favorite water work out: I try to swim in an outdoor pool every chance I get! My favorite is long-course sprint 50s for time. It’s all about speed and execution.
What activities do you do in JOLYN: If there’s water, sun, or working out, I wear Jolyn! That means all my swim workouts, dryland training, and weightlifting, but also sailing, kayaking, chillin on the beach…
What's your favorite JOLYN color: Oooh I have a ton of favorites! But I really love Lava and Lavender. I have onesies and bikinis in both :)
What's your favorite JOLYN style and why: I really like the triangle tiebacks and the fixed-back onesies. The triangle tiebacks fit so comfortably and they never move. I like how they look on my body and how dependable they are for intense swim workouts. Then when I want to sharpen up for meets, I like the fixed-back onesies. They fit so snug—I feel fassst in the water.
If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 things, what would they be:
- Boombox to play music
- Jolyn ( + sunscreen, of course)
- My dog Riley … she’s my shadow xoxo
What's your favorite beach that you have been to and what beach is on your list to go to: I love my family house on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia where I grew up. But I’ve also been to the Grand Cayman Islands and they are absolutely spectacular! A beach I would LOVE to go to is Australian Gold Coast.
What are 3 things on your bucket list:
- Swim in as many places around the world as I can
- Live on & sail a boat around the Caribbean for months
- Own a pony (…I really love ponies)
- Make it as a designer and see my designs in the world
If you were 60 years old, what would you tell your children: Live to tell the tale. Life is all about stories, so decide which ones you want to have. Seek those adventures and you will have the fullest life imaginable.
What would we find in your refrigerator right now: Oatmeal, a ton of fruit, chocolate, and mac ’n cheese (…drooool)
What nail polish color are you: NEON!
What motivates you: To seek and live the greatest adventures of all time.
What's the most inspiring race you've ever seen: I knew my answer to this immediately!! The 2008 Olympics 400 free men’s relay, with the USA’s Jason Lezak running down the French team. I watched this with my best friend from high school and we went insane! By the final leg we were screaming and cheering in my basement. The end of the race gave me goosebumps. It’s one of my favorite memories; so much determination and will.
What would you spend your last $10 on: A cold lemonade and a really good burger… or maybe a hot dog.
What is your signature dish in the kitchen: Mashed potatoes forever!!
What is your favorite holiday destination: Home. With swimming’s intense schedule, I rarely get the opportunity to travel home except for a few holidays. As crazy as family can be, there’s no place like home.
What is the most important part of a sandwich: The meat!
Any last words or testimonial: Never let go of what makes your heart race.
