Swimming doesn’t define Kate Steward. While the Jayhawk Junior has a strong passion for the sport, deciding not to “take it all so seriously” was a massive turning point in Kate’s career. Kate describes this change of perspective as one of the most important reasons for her great success. However, Kate is also adamant that people don’t mistake her ‘new’ attitude for lack of work. Quite the opposite. For Kate, everything starts with hard work. “I work my butt off and always give 100%. Frankly, I’m a strong believer that your work ethic lays the foundation for future success,” she said. “Nonetheless, putting so much pressure on my shoulders really didn’t do me any good. I swim better without it. It allows me to perform how I think I can perform. It pulls me away from that mental state of feeling like I have to be perfect all the time.”