{"id":1283,"date":"2014-04-15T12:31:37","date_gmt":"2014-04-15T12:31:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/?p=1283"},"modified":"2016-07-18T03:06:25","modified_gmt":"2016-07-18T03:06:25","slug":"an-interview-with-brooke-bennett","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/an-interview-with-brooke-bennett\/","title":{"rendered":"An Interview With Brooke Bennett"},"content":{"rendered":"<div\n\tclass=\"ngg-galleryoverview\"\n\tid=\"ngg-gallery-8f050759eeb3374b9e03fbdbd2f7b963-1\">\n\n    \t\t<!-- Thumbnails -->\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-0\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/a_60855.jpg\"\n               title=\"Writer Erika Vidal Holmes interviews 3-time Olympic swimming golf medalist Brooke Bennett\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/a_60855.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_a_60855.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"572\"\n               data-title=\"a_60855\"\n               data-description=\"Writer Erika Vidal Holmes interviews 3-time Olympic swimming golf medalist Brooke Bennett\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"8f050759eeb3374b9e03fbdbd2f7b963\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"a_60855\"\n                    alt=\"a_60855\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_a_60855.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-1\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/a_60898.jpg\"\n               title=\"Brooke Bennett&#039;s three Olympic gold medals\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/a_60898.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_a_60898.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"573\"\n               data-title=\"a_60898\"\n               data-description=\"Brooke Bennett&#039;s three Olympic gold medals\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"8f050759eeb3374b9e03fbdbd2f7b963\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"a_60898\"\n                    alt=\"a_60898\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_a_60898.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-2\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/bb_60786.jpg\"\n               title=\"After retiring from swimming, Brooke Bennett took a position as a sports reporter at Bright House Sports Network\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/bb_60786.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_bb_60786.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"574\"\n               data-title=\"bb_60786\"\n               data-description=\"After retiring from swimming, Brooke Bennett took a position as a sports reporter at Bright House Sports Network\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"8f050759eeb3374b9e03fbdbd2f7b963\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"bb_60786\"\n                    alt=\"bb_60786\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_bb_60786.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-3\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/bd_cover_brookebennett.jpg\"\n               title=\"The cover image for our story on Brooke Bennett\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/bd_cover_brookebennett.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_bd_cover_brookebennett.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"575\"\n               data-title=\"bd_cover_brookebennett\"\n               data-description=\"The cover image for our story on Brooke Bennett\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"8f050759eeb3374b9e03fbdbd2f7b963\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"bd_cover_brookebennett\"\n                    alt=\"bd_cover_brookebennett\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_bd_cover_brookebennett.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-4\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/bw_60865.jpg\"\n               title=\"Writer Erika Vidal Holmes interviews 3-time Olympic swimming golf medalist Brooke Bennett\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/bw_60865.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_bw_60865.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"576\"\n               data-title=\"bw_60865\"\n               data-description=\"Writer Erika Vidal Holmes interviews 3-time Olympic swimming golf medalist Brooke Bennett\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"8f050759eeb3374b9e03fbdbd2f7b963\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"bw_60865\"\n                    alt=\"bw_60865\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/brooke-bennett-2\/thumbs\/thumbs_bw_60865.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Pagination -->\n\t<div class='ngg-clear'><\/div>\t<\/div>\n\n<p>FLIP-TURN<br \/>\nThree-time USA Olympic swimming gold medalist Brooke Bennett finds herself in a different element\u2014on-air.<\/p>\n<p>Story by: Erika Vidal Holmes<br \/>\nSince hanging up her swimsuit a couple of years ago, Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett hasn\u2019t had much time to come up for air. After recovering from a serious car accident last October that sidelined her for 12 weeks due to a broken pelvis, the longtime Valrico resident embarked on a new career in January as a broadcaster\/anchor covering Bay-area high school sports for Bright House Sports Network. And in May, two days after her 30th birthday, Brooke was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.<br \/>\n\u201cThe last year has been so up and down for me,\u201d she says. \u201cMy whole life was about working out,\u201d Brooke says. \u201cNow it revolves around a career\u2014a really good one. I want to be able to do both.\u201d<br \/>\nA competitor at heart, Brooke is no stranger to fighting for what she wants. Here, she talks about balancing her career, beauty, health and fitness, as well as her latest project, a cookbook.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: After being in workout mode all day every day to being in front of a camera, how has your newfound career affected your beauty routine?<br \/>\nBB: I\u2019ve always had a good fashion sense. I think I learned that from my mom. She was always very put together and fashionable. My career was to be in a pool, so I was probably known most for sopping wet hair and smelling like chlorine. When you are in front of a camera, you want to come off as looking perfect, but I like to keep my own style.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: What\u2019s your fashion philosophy?<br \/>\nBB: I go with what looks fun. I buy things then piece them together. I always say I can put together an outfit in my closet that I\u2019ve never worn before out of marrying stuff that has hung for five or six years.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: How has being a former high school athlete influenced the way you do your job?<br \/>\nBB: For me it\u2019s the learning phase right now. For so long I was on the other side of the camera. Now, I sit on the other side and I tell the story. My goal as I further my career is to use the knowledge that I have being in one seat and take it to the other seat. When things are not told exactly the way you are hoping or not perceived the way you want it to be, it can hurt. I want the athletes to know I respect them because I\u2019ve been in their position.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: Do you miss swimming?<br \/>\nBB: I do. I was competitive by nature. I was this young pipsqueak that came up out of nowhere and wasn\u2019t afraid to race, and as Janet Evans was coming to the end of her career, that was written about a lot. Many times it was written that I was disrespectful to her, and I was not. I was just a competitor. Athletes that came up behind me\u2014the Kate Zieglers and the Katie Hoffs of swimming\u2014they were probably saying, \u2018I wanna kick Brooke Bennett\u2019s butt.\u2019 I do swim for fun now, for health and fitness purposes.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: What kind of setbacks have you experienced after last October\u2019s car accident?<br \/>\nBB: I was not allowed to start getting into a workout routine until January&#8230; I\u2019m a big believer in mind over matter. I was off crutches in 10 weeks, and I was told it would be 12. At 30, maybe I\u2019m starting to realize that my body needs more time to recover, and different fitness goals, different life aspects, and I\u2019m enjoying it.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: What are some of your favorite workouts?<br \/>\nBB: It\u2019s between weight training and cardio for me.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: What\u2019s your pump-me up song?<br \/>\nBB: I would say from my swimming career until now, AC\/DC\u2019s \u201cThunderstruck,\u201d the theme from the A-Team, and \u201cWelcome to the Jungle\u201d by Guns N\u2019 Roses.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: What can you tell us about the cookbook you\u2019re working on?<br \/>\nBB: It\u2019s a little bit of everything, from breakfast to dinners to baking. A lot of the inspiration came from going through my grandmother\u2019s cookbook and looking at recipes I grew up eating and loved. I have a little bit of an issue with digesting dairy, so I cut out dairy and, of course, fats and sugars.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: Any favorite recipes?<br \/>\nBB: My two favorites would be an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and a crumbled blue cheese turkey burger.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: Guilty Pleasure.<br \/>\nBB: Golden Oreos, Skittles and Doritos I can\u2019t turn down.<\/p>\n<p>EVH: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?<br \/>\nBB: My biggest dream would be to be picked up to do swimming commentary or sideline pool interviews in London 2010. It\u2019s going to be a long path\u2026 but Bright House Sports Network has given me an opportunity in a town that is home, and one of the things I\u2019ve always learned is you never forget where you came from. I was just a little small-town girl out of Plant City with curly hair running around a farm. I would like for sports, health, fitness and nutrition to all inter-sync and maybe have my own show. The sky\u2019s the limit. At 30, you look at your life, you want to have a family and have kids. Maybe a Prince Charming is out there and in 10 years I can be fully devoted to that. I don\u2019t know\u2026 it depends on what\u2019s going to fit perfectly in my life.<\/p>\n<p>Beauty Commentary<br \/>\nBrooke on what she never leaves home without<\/p>\n<p>From left:<\/p>\n<p>L&#8217;Oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara<br \/>\nBrooke has really short eyelashes and she says it\u2019s a miracle product.<\/p>\n<p>Mac Blot Powder\/Pressed<\/p>\n<p>Dove Clinical Protection Anti-perspiration and Deodorant<\/p>\n<p>Jergens Natural Glow lotion<br \/>\n\u201cThe natural glow is a new favorite of mine because of all those years I was in the sun,\u201d Brooke says. \u201cI like to keep my healthy glow and I try to stay out of the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Estee Lauder double wear foundation<br \/>\nIf you\u2019re not a fan of foundation, Brooke says this is the product for you because it\u2019s so light.<\/p>\n<p>Lorac lip color in Crush<\/p>\n<p>Colgate Wisp disposable toothbrushes<\/p>\n<p>Neutrogena Visibly Firm Face Lotion<\/p>\n<p>Redken Extreme Anti-snap leave-in treatment<br \/>\n\u201cI\u2019ve always used this It\u2019s been ongoing since my days of swimming because it wouldn\u2019t leave my hair funky.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Moroccan Oil<br \/>\n\u201cOne of my newest hair products since I\u2019ve been in TV that I\u2019ve absolutely loved, and you get to smell good.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p>Mac eye shadow<br \/>\nHer favorite right now is Stars \u2018n\u2019 Rockets (pictured here).<\/p>\n<p>A lint remover for before she goes on-air.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FLIP-TURN Three-time USA Olympic swimming gold medalist Brooke Bennett finds herself in a different element\u2014on-air. Story by: Erika Vidal Holmes Since hanging up her swimsuit a couple of years ago, Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett hasn\u2019t had much time to come up for air. After recovering from a serious car accident last October that sidelined [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1768],"tags":[1692,1512,1511,1690,1691,1689],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}