Tulane's Christian gets swimming honor

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Tulane freshman Leslie Christian, who was named Conference USA Swimmer of the Week on Feb. 10, is concerned but proud of her father, who is in Afghanistan. Tulane photo

Daughter Leslie Christian, a 2003 graduate of Leilehua from Wahiawa, was named the Conference USA Swimmer of the Week on Feb. 10.

"We were so excited he got to find out before he left," said Christian, a freshman at Tulane University in New Orleans. "I'm proud that he's getting to serve his country because that's what he wants to do."

Christian earned the honor after winning the 1,000-yard freestyle with a lifetime-best of 10 minutes, 23.26 seconds and the 500 freestyle in 5:06.53 on Feb. 8 against Saint Louis.

"I didn't find out about it until I got a message from my mom on my cell phone and she was screaming, and I laughed," said Christian, who became the first Tulane student-athlete to earn the swimming honor.

So far this season, Christian has eight individual wins, and set a meet record of 17:20,44 in the 1,650 freestyle at the Giant Eagle Zips Invitational at the University of Akron last December.

She has three of Tulane's fastest individual times this year, in the 500 freestyle (5:04.89), 1,000 freestyle (10:23.26) and 1,650 freestyle (17:17.51).

"We're an all-freshman squad, and usually the upperclassmen are the people who step forward with the dominant roles," Tulane coach Daniella Irle said. "Usually you grow into these roles, but Leslie brings the ability to step into the role.

"Without her we wouldn't be the team that we are," Irle added. "Someone's got to assume the dominant racing roles. I think she decided early on that she was going to be the go-to girl. I believe she wants the responsibility."

Christian said that knowing her father, who is a battalion commander in the Army, will be in such dangerous territory for a year is "scary, but he describes it to me as swimming for 26 years and never getting to compete in a meet, because he's been training for so long."

Her father has been in the Army for 26 years, and this is the first time he will be going to war.

"I think it will make me better, because I know he'll be hearing about it out there and it will motivate me to do better," Christian said.

"We've talked about it; Leslie's like any other 18-year-old," Irle said. "She fears for her father's safety, which is completely natural. But on the other hand, I think she's incredibly proud of him and understands his desire to serve.

"She's a very strong young woman, when she decided it's going to be OK, it's going to be OK. Whatever comes her way, she'll handle it, that much I know about Leslie."

Being in a military family, Christian has lived in California, Georgia, Texas, Las Vegas, Kansas, New York, Colorado and Hawai'i — twice. The first time was when she was 3 years old, for three years. She also moved to Hawai'i the summer before her senior year, after living in Colorado for four years — her longest stay in one place.

Christian said that she believes moving around when she was younger helped her transition to college.

"I know a lot of people who have lived in the same place their whole lives and they had a hard time adjusting," she said. "I'm used to going to new places and meeting new people."

She said that the hardest thing about leaving home was being away from her mother, Laura, whom Christian calls her best friend.

"She's been behind me in everything I did, as long as I felt it was the right fit for me, she was behind me," Christian said. "I can tell her everything."

She said she speaks to her mom "at least three times a day;" she'll speak to her dad "once every couple of weeks."

"We'll be e-mailing each other," she said. "He'll be contacting me when he gets an e-mail address and I'm sure he'll be contacting me sometime soon."

The Christians knew last summer that Stephen would be going to Afghanistan, but Leslie said there was no doubt that she would still be attending Tulane, rather than stay in Hawai'i to spend the last few months with her father before he left.

"I know he would rather me go to college, he wouldn't want me to stay home," she said. "It's better to go away and make him proud."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2457.