Getting to Know Mari Embertson
March 24, 2005
A view from the outside might give the impression that Mari Embertson is a typical student-athlete at Oregon State University. A closer look reveals that the four-year veteran of the Oregon State University swim team is much, much more. While juggling a double major with early morning workouts and a season from September through April, Embertson is able to balance the school commitments with social time and a very humble lifestyle.
After beginning her career as an average swimmer at Roseburg High School in Oregon, she took an active leadership role with the younger athletes as a junior and senior, and assisted the coaching staff.
Coming to Oregon State University was a huge transition and taught her what competition was all about. The coaching staff embraced her and told her specifically, "keep it fun, don't worry about expectations of others, and focus on what you know." For the first two years, that is exactly what she did. She trained in specialized areas, focused on good nutrition, refined her strength, and became a smarter swimmer.
"Talent only gets you so far, but hard work helps you go even further," Embertson said. This is the reasoning behind her fascination with the one and only, Michael Jordan. After reading about how he was cut from his high school basketball team and yet he never gave up, she felt she could have that kind of drive.
By her junior year at OSU, she earned All-American honors when she placed seventh in the 400 Intermediate at the NCAA Championships. When asked her reactions to this great achievement, she said, "I really didn't find out until afterwards, and for me, it was the personal satisfaction that meant more than anything." A very humble, yet remarkable answer from someone who not until recently began to have dreams of going to the Olympics. Those dreams have become even more attainable after setting the school record in the 400 IM with a time of 4:10.95.
The idea of being on a national team traveling around the world is something that Embertson would love to eventually do with her life and Beaver head coach Larry Liebowitz has helped her along that hopeful path.
"I just want to see how far I can go," Embertson said. "I don't have any limits on myself."
Through all of her success at OSU, she has found that the roles on the team have changed. Birte Steven, a graduate and Olympic qualifier from last year's team, was always someone who she looked up to. Now she is finding out what it feels like to be a role model. At first it threw her a little with the expectations she thought she had to live up to, but now she embraces her position as captain of the squad with poise and good nature.
So how does she find time in her schedule to hang out with her friends and enjoy a social life? She puts it simply by saying, "My school, swimming, and social activities are all important to me, but I evaluate each of them to figure which has the most value at that point in time."
Embertson doesn't take her swimming scholarship lightly either and at press time has twice been selected to the Pacific-10 Conference's All-Academic team. She works hard in the pool to keep her end of the deal and to avoid taking advantage of such an incredible opportunity. Along with this is of course is her schoolwork. Embertson is double major in accounting and health care administration in hopes of one day helping with today's health care policy.
Embertson admits to being an extreme people person, and one of her favorite things in life is making people laugh and smile, including her teammates.
"I can't believe how fast this past season went by; I wish I had more time here, but I'm definitely happy with what has happened so far." So even though college swimming has come to an end, Embertson still plans on being an undergrad assistant coach to stay involved with the team while she completes her degree requirements.
Embertson is a hard working, model student-athlete with the leadership skills to be an outstanding contributor to society. There are many ways to describe her, but typical would be far from accurate.
