Ryan Cochrane has stormed his way onto the international swim scene. Despite his worldwide recognition, this young athlete hasn’t let swimming run his life.

The 19-year-old UVic student won the bronze medal for Canada in the 1500-metre swimming event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics this August.

Unlike fellow athletes, Cochrane envisions a life outside of his sport.

 “I see myself outside of swimming,” he said. “Whereas I think most athletes, when they get out of their sports, have nothing.”

Cochrane did not put off his post-secondary education in favour of a full-time training schedule. He jokes that he would graduate at the age of 35 if he put off school until his swimming career is finished.

 “I can’t wait eight years to start school,” he said. “I want to get most of my school done, so that when I finish swimming I can start my real life.”

Make no mistake, Cochrane’s determination exceeds any definition of average. He always wants to win, and regrets aspects of his Beijing Olympic bronze medal finish — a race in which he led his competitors for a large portion of the swim.

“I thought the first half of the final went well, and then the second half was not how I expected it to go,” said Cochrane. “Being that close to the top of the podium is frustrating, especially when it’s an event that’s 15 minutes long and I was two seconds off.”

Cochrane’s win, however, did provide salvation for a young Canadian Olympic swimming team. Despite a slew of personal bests and Canadian records, the team had not finished on the podium prior to his bronze medal finish.

The future does look bright for the Canadian swim team. For many on the squad, the Beijing Olympics was their first taste of international competition.

“There are so many guys 20-and-under coming into the international scene,” said Cochrane. “We can expect multiple medals in London.”

Between now and the 2012 Olympics in London, Cochrane will compete in several competitions including two World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

“Most male swimmers are done by the age of 25 or 26,” said Cochrane. “It’s a short career and I want to make the most of it.”

Rest assured, when his career is over, fans won’t have to see Cochrane come out of retirement, or take a brief foray into baseball.