Where Are They Now With Joao De Lucca and Brooks Wilmoth
June 25, 2020 | Swimming & Diving
Both have advice for the current Cardinal squad
Watch the whole podcast here!!
Louisville, Ky – In this week's installment of Where Are They Now, swimming and diving assistant coach Kameron Chastain chats with not one but two Cardinal Alumni and former teammates in Joao De Lucca and Brooks Wilmoth about their time and memories as teammates and what they are doing today.
"The experience at Louisville was something different. It's hard to explain, but man it's well worth it. It was the experience of a lifetime," said Wilmoth who is now the Director of Business Development at TWG Land Resources.
Hailing from Brazil, De Lucca thought going to college in the U.S. was a distant dream until a head coach Arthur Albiero found him through a coach he had trained with in Fort Lauderdale. The hardest part of the move for De Lucca was learning enough English to pass his language exams to be admitted into school.
Growing up in Hot Springs Arkansas, Wilmoth got to Louisville through a more "traditional" route. He got a letter in the mail about Louisville which led him to set up a recruiting visit.
After visit UofL and Missouri State, Wilmoth said "It was night and day," about the vast differences between the schools and the programs. "The coaches were amazing, the facilities were awesome, and they've only gotten better since I came," he said.
From his time on the team, De Lucca says "With swimming, the opportunity that I had to get a scholarship at UofL, give me an education, and it was awesome." He says there are no particular moments that made it special, it was everything put together around the bonding and brotherhood he gained from the team. Joao says his four years went by so fast, especially with the first two years being a blank as he was still trying to get acclimated with the team and find his comfort zone.
One of Joao's most vivid memories was his junior year meet against Kentucky that was a back and forth, heated battle that ended up as a big win at their pool, celebrating in front of them. For Joao, he says the transition from junior year to senior year was a turning point in his career because he had already won one national title. In his senior season, he continued his dominance, taking home two more national titles to cap off a great career at UofL.
Similarly, for Wilmoth, he says he remembers time spent with teammates and friends more than anything. His biggest advice is to live in the moment, enjoy it. One of Brooks' favorite all time meets was the first time UofL beat Tennessee in a dual meet.
Of the moment he said, "To kick off the year with such a slam, we were all so jacked. It just gets me jazzed talking about it." As most alumni say, Wilmoth cherishes the relationships and comradery the most.
As Chastain always asks for advice to the team, Wilmoth says "Don't let any moment pass you by. Don't hesitate to take action and achieve what you want to achieve while you're there. Don't let your brothers fall behind, if someone needs picking up, help them up. Lead by example and inspire others."
De Lucca's advice to the team would be "When everyone is in the same boat and rowing in the same direction, the path gets shorter. Sticking with the common goal is very important. It's vital to know what you want and having the attitude and confidence to go after it and not hesitating."
Louisville, Ky – In this week's installment of Where Are They Now, swimming and diving assistant coach Kameron Chastain chats with not one but two Cardinal Alumni and former teammates in Joao De Lucca and Brooks Wilmoth about their time and memories as teammates and what they are doing today.
"The experience at Louisville was something different. It's hard to explain, but man it's well worth it. It was the experience of a lifetime," said Wilmoth who is now the Director of Business Development at TWG Land Resources.
Hailing from Brazil, De Lucca thought going to college in the U.S. was a distant dream until a head coach Arthur Albiero found him through a coach he had trained with in Fort Lauderdale. The hardest part of the move for De Lucca was learning enough English to pass his language exams to be admitted into school.
Growing up in Hot Springs Arkansas, Wilmoth got to Louisville through a more "traditional" route. He got a letter in the mail about Louisville which led him to set up a recruiting visit.
After visit UofL and Missouri State, Wilmoth said "It was night and day," about the vast differences between the schools and the programs. "The coaches were amazing, the facilities were awesome, and they've only gotten better since I came," he said.
From his time on the team, De Lucca says "With swimming, the opportunity that I had to get a scholarship at UofL, give me an education, and it was awesome." He says there are no particular moments that made it special, it was everything put together around the bonding and brotherhood he gained from the team. Joao says his four years went by so fast, especially with the first two years being a blank as he was still trying to get acclimated with the team and find his comfort zone.
One of Joao's most vivid memories was his junior year meet against Kentucky that was a back and forth, heated battle that ended up as a big win at their pool, celebrating in front of them. For Joao, he says the transition from junior year to senior year was a turning point in his career because he had already won one national title. In his senior season, he continued his dominance, taking home two more national titles to cap off a great career at UofL.
Similarly, for Wilmoth, he says he remembers time spent with teammates and friends more than anything. His biggest advice is to live in the moment, enjoy it. One of Brooks' favorite all time meets was the first time UofL beat Tennessee in a dual meet.
Of the moment he said, "To kick off the year with such a slam, we were all so jacked. It just gets me jazzed talking about it." As most alumni say, Wilmoth cherishes the relationships and comradery the most.
As Chastain always asks for advice to the team, Wilmoth says "Don't let any moment pass you by. Don't hesitate to take action and achieve what you want to achieve while you're there. Don't let your brothers fall behind, if someone needs picking up, help them up. Lead by example and inspire others."
De Lucca's advice to the team would be "When everyone is in the same boat and rowing in the same direction, the path gets shorter. Sticking with the common goal is very important. It's vital to know what you want and having the attitude and confidence to go after it and not hesitating."
