Israeli swimmer Tom Be'eri is a power house. As one of Israel's best swimmers, Be'eri competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Now, Be'eri has traded the rolling green hillls of Northern Israel for hot and humid Georgia. Be'eri discusses his decision to swim for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, his swimming career and his plans for the future.
1) How did you choose UGA?
UGA appealed to me the most out of any other universities that offered me swimming scholarships because of their amazing swimming team. They have a great, elite swimming team. When it came down to competitive swimming and great academics, the University of Georgia was the clear champion of them both.
2) What's it like living in the U.S. and in Georgia?
I am really enjoying it, I love the life I have here. I love being a student and never ceasing to learn both current events as well as the old theories. I feel extremely lucky to be able to have this opportunity to be both an athlete and a student in the state of Georgia. When looking at my life as an whole, I would have to say I live in two different worlds. My entire childhood is rooted in my home in Israel. Not just because all my family and childhood friends are in Israel, but it’s an entirely different mindset that prioritizes responsibilities differently. But I love both worlds regardless of how different they may be. I feel that having been exposed to both has shaped my whole persona. I look forward to continue my personal journey in America via learning what I like about the US, and what I dislike. I plan on staying in the US after school, not necessarily GA, but I want to explore the USA and my options.
3) At 26 years old, you are already a bit older than your competition. Do you plan to continue swimming for several more years?
I do not plan on continuing swimming as a professional athlete after I graduate from UGA in December 2013. I feel as if my peak performance days of swimming are long behind me. I am an Olympian (represented Israel in the 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics), I am a country (Israel) and University of Georgia record holder I won many medals at University of Georgia. I think those titles and honors will never be diminished from my personal story as a professional swimmer, but they do not necessarily need to define the person I will be in the future. I am always going to have a very special place for swimming (considering I have been doing it on a professional level for over 18 years now), but I do not want to necessarily tie it to my future career.
4) You are majoring in International Affairs and Business. What do you plan on doing after college?
I choose to double major in both areas not by accident. I think that they both compliment one another both in academia and reality. They are both teaching me crucial aspects I need for my future career path/ goals, because my ultimate goal is choosing a career in which I can combine the two. I am learning beyond what an International Business Major would because the global political systems and finance/marketing are kept mostly separate when choosing to double major. I then dive in and see a clear picture of how economically countries interact with one another based on their political systems and degrees of market freedom. I want to have a business future in the area of international expansion in the market world. Hopefully, Israeli and American companies!
Tom Be'eri will receive his degree in International Affairs and Business in December 2013 and plans on remaining in the United States. If you have an internship or job opportunity for Tom, you may contact him via email at tombeeri@uga.edu.