Featured Freshman Friday: Nadia Khechfe
Nadia Khechfe (Kesh-fee) has always known she wanted to continue the Jayhawk family tradition, but did not always know she wanted to dive collegiately. The three-sport high school athlete comes to Kansas from Lincoln, Nebraska, where she placed third at state her senior year and set a school record in diving. In this week’s Freshman Friday, KUAthletics.com had the opportunity to sit down with Khechfe just before the team kicks off the 2014-15 season.
Why did you decide to dive for KU?
I didn’t want to stay in state and I really liked the program and the team here. The recruiting trip I went on here was my favorite. My family has always been a KU fan, so I wanted to come here before I knew I wanted to dive in college. Then the opportunity came up to dive, so I took it.
What are you looking forward to the most being on this team?
I’m really excited to be able to compete in the Big 12 and represent KU.
Besides diving, what are your hobbies?
I played soccer for just as long as I’ve dove—so about nine years. I played soccer in high school too, so anything to do with sports I love. I play basketball, sand volleyball, anything.
What is your favorite pool game?
It’s a diving game… does that count? You start on the board and you jump, then your coach yells out an animal and you have to make the animal noise before you hit the water.
What has been your most memorable diving moment so far?
My most memorable moment was coming back from shoulder surgery, working hard and being able to go to college for diving. I had surgery my sophomore year of high school and it took about eight or nine months to fully recover. The first month I started off small, and then I got right back into it.
What has been your favorite vacation?
I’ve never gone on a vacation really unless it had to do with diving or sports, but this past summer I was able to go to Florida with my best friend. It was an island outside of Naples, we went kayaking and saw dolphins… it was a blast.
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
Hopefully, I’ll have a college degree and be finished with four years of collegiate diving. I’m not sure if I want to go to law school anymore, but hopefully I will have a stable job.
What is your favorite KU tradition?
Late Night. I’ve never been, but I have heard about it. My dad has been, but I’m planning on going for the first time this year.
What is your favorite food?
Mashed potatoes and steak. No reasoning behind it.
What is your favorite song or music to get pumped up to?
I like anything upbeat, I’m a huge Miley Cyrus fan, I’ve seen her in concert twice. We had second-row seats the first time. I’m on her Instagram… she spits on her crowd at her concerts and that started in Omaha at the concert I went to—it was us that she spit on.
Tell us something that most people don’t know about you.
I’m really competitive. I make things that shouldn’t be competitive, competitive all the time, which can be bad sometimes.
Khechfe and the Jayhawks begin the 2014-15 season tonight with the Crimson & Blue Intrasquad meet, followed by the first official meet against Nebraska-Omaha on October 13. Khechfe and the team look to make history—outside of Cyrus’ Instagram—building on their second-place Big 12 conference finish in February 2014.
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