The Filipino-American swimmer lets MEGA Active in on representing the Philippines at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Representing a nation is more than just wearing its colors. For Jarod Hatch, this meant returning to the pool after a brief retirement, all for the chance to raise the Philippine flag at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Fresh from his experience in Paris, the Olympian is all smiles—a mix of relief, pride, and just a hint of disbelief. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that he had hung up his swim cap, uncertain if he’d ever dive back into competitive waters again.
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Eager to hear what’s going through the mind of a man who just swam his heart out at the world’s biggest sporting event, we quickly dive into his journey. With four medals from the SEA Games—two bronze, two silver—under his belt, he had already made a splash, but swimming onto the Olympic stage was something else entirely. “It was really a dream come true,” he says. “Indescribable because there are so many different pieces to it, but just thankful and appreciative for what has happened.”
Swimming to Self
The road to the Olympics wasn’t straightforward for Hatch. He started training at just ten years old, but in 2021, he decided to step away from the sport. “I didn’t really know life without swimming,” he admits. “I wanted to take a step back and see what my interests were outside of swimming and whatnot. It meant more than anything.”
That time away from the pool wasn’t just about finding new hobbies—it was about finding himself. Hatch had spent so long being defined by swimming that he needed to rediscover who he was without it. “It’s hard to describe because my mom’s side is from here, from Quezon City,” he explains. “Being able to raise the flag for my family and for all their sacrifices, and also for the fans that are so passionate…We have the best fans in the world, the most passionate fans in the world.”
Hatch credits his mom and her roots in the Philippines as a huge influence. “It’s beautiful,” he says of representing the Philippines. “It’s an opportunity that I will never take for granted, and I’m very appreciative of. It means a lot being able to just be with my mom and just travel through the Philippines with her after the Olympics.”
The Waves of Pressure
Hatch says that the mental and emotional toll of coming out of retirement for something as monumental as the Olympics left him unhappy. “When you’re basing your happiness off of a sport—because that’s all I did was school and swim—I had to learn how to be happy in other aspects of my life.” The pressure to perform, the constant ups and downs of competition, had left him drained. He needed to fortify himself mentally before diving back in. “It’s really hard to go through the sport if you really don’t know who you are.”
What was it like to compete in Paris, representing a country he’s grown to love deeply? “It’s something that I really appreciate and I will never take for granted,” Hatch says, a touch of emotion creeping into his voice. “Filipinos in sports are usually a rarity until recently, especially in the Olympics where we only had our first Filipino gold Olympian.”
But with the Olympics now behind him, what’s next? Is he planning to swim competitively again, or is he ready for another break? Hatch’s response is as grounded as you’d expect from someone who’s been on both sides of the sport. “Yes, I’m taking it one day at a time,” he says. “I’m just going to take a little bit of a break from competition and just stay in shape, just see how it goes. I don’t like to think too far into the future. I like to take things day by day.”
“If you look at your goals and you still want that, then just keep going. It’s going to be hard, but anything worthwhile having in life isn’t easy.”
– Jarod Hatch on his advice to swimmers
For aspiring swimmers, Hatch’s advice is simple yet profound: “Just follow your heart. If you’re not enjoying it, if you’re not happy, then it’s not really worth it.” He acknowledges that the training is tough and sacrifices are plenty, but for Hatch, it’s all about passion.
The Grind Behind
As we wrap up, I can’t help but ask about his grueling training process leading up to the Olympics. “Practice every week, every day, multiple times a day,” he says with a laugh. “Lots of swimming, resistance work, power work, lifting, dry land, core work, eating well, going to bed early, meditating… It’s a pretty boring schedule, but it’s just making sure that I’m being consistent in my training process.”
And what does a swimmer’s diet look like, especially when training for something as demanding as the Olympics? “I like to eat a lot of chicken and rice,” he says, almost sheepishly. “Obviously there are cheat days. There are days where I have fast food and whatnot, but I try to limit those days.” He laughs, confessing his love for fried chicken, a cheat meal he can’t resist. “Max’s is so good. The pork sisig, I love pork sisig. I never feel good after, but I feel really good eating it. And turon—I love turon so much.”
Jarod Hatch is a swimmer who came out of retirement. He’s a man who found himself, rediscovered his passion, and carried the weight of a nation’s hopes on his shoulders—all the way to the Paris 2024 Olympics. As the Olympian reassesses his future, he faces the shallows of uncertainty and the deep waters of potential. Yet, like any seasoned swimmer, he knows that even after diving into the depths, there’s always a chance to surface stronger, splashing back up with renewed purpose and a clear sense of direction.
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