_Sophomore Mikel Schreuders swam for Aruba at the 2016 Olympic Games, placing 45th in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:55.10. Though he was above his best time of 1:51.17, Schreuders has enjoyed his experience in Rio. He talked to The Maneater from the Olympic Village._

**The Maneater**: How did it feel walking in the opening ceremony? What was the atmosphere like?

**Mikel Schreuders**: I thought it was just a really awesome experience. When I walked in, I just saw everyone screaming, everyone cheering. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s for me, but I just can hear everyone cheering and screaming, that’s just awesome because I know it might be for me, and it’s for Aruba, and it’s for that I made the Olympics … it was a lot of music, a lot of people and different colors, people dancing around. It was just a big show, and I totally loved it.

**ME**: Describe your emotions when you first dove into the water in the 200-meter freestyle. What were your thoughts on the race?

**MS**: When I just dove in for my 200 freestyle I thought: “Okay, this is going to be a good race. This is what I trained for this whole time. This is the time where I’m going to shine.” In the middle of the race, I kind of was feeling a little bad. I wasn’t feeling that well the day before. I was feeling kind of sick, and I was coughing and my sinuses were acting up. I wasn’t really in 100 percent condition, but I was just thinking, “Okay, I’m going to let that go and just go for it.” And then at the 150, I kind of realized, “Okay, I think I cannot do this anymore.” I was feeling really bad, my head was hurting, my body was hurting.

**ME**: How does this motivate you going forward?

**MS**: This motivates me a lot. I haven’t had many good swims in a while now. I’m just motivated to swim now for the team and start short-course season and train the best I can so I can perform how they want me to.

**ME**: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met in Rio? Where did you meet them?

**MS**: The most interesting person I met here, he’s a volunteer and he knows 15 languages … he learns the language by learning their culture, their religion, the way they live and stuff like that. So he said he doesn’t necessarily need class and stuff. He said he would go there and in three months he would know how they would live, how they act with religion, how their culture is, and he said that’s the easiest way that he will remember how to learn them. I met him in the eating room. He was just there helping out.

**ME**: How is the condition of the Olympic Village?

**MS**: The Olympic Village is not at all what I’ve heard on the news … It’s fine. We have air conditioning, the beds are good, the water’s running, there’s electricity, we have everything in here. We even have Wi-Fi. It’s good. Maybe some countries complain because it’s not the luxury they wanted, but I think what I need is in here.”

**ME**: How did it feel representing your country?

**MS**: Representing my country is the best thing ever. I’m from a small country. Aruba, it’s 100,000 people. Everyone there knows, “Okay, there’s seven athletes competing in the Olympics.” And I’m one of them. So people know me now, and I hope that I set a good image for them and I motivate other people … We’re all the same people there, so I think we can all do it.”