Jacey Hinton is a sophomore and swimmer at the University of Miami who has made significant strides as an athlete, model, and media powerhouse. Hinton has leveraged her potential, and put in an enormous amount of work, to become successful. She has been active as a competitive swimmer and a model from a young age and has developed these crafts side by side. This has been an arduous but tremendously rewarding journey and HInton has received a great deal of accolades including being named the USA Today Athlete of the Year for Swimming in Massachusetts.
Interview with Jacey Hinton
Can you tell me more about your career as an athlete so far?
I’ve been swimming competitively since I was six years old and I’ve tried just about every sport. I really connected with swimming because I’ve always loved being in the water. From there I joined a club team and when I was 12, I became one of the best swimmers in the country. When I was a teenager, my family moved from Houston to Boston. This was a difficult change for me because my school placed a much greater emphasis on academics. Additionally, there were different training styles as far as sport was concerned. I managed to adjust and I had a great year in my freshman year of high school as I became the state champion. I was feeling very confident with my swimming until Covid hit and it really changed the landscape. Getting back into the water after a few weeks out can be really hard. It’s especially difficult to get the feel of the water again. Since starting to swim in Miami I have really found my love for swimming again. Last year, I was a member of a school record breaking relay team. It’s hard work and demanding on my time but I’m hoping to have a great season and break more school records.
What is your training schedule like?
It’s pretty rigorous. Depending on the week, it varies. On average, we swim early mornings Monday to Saturday with an additional afternoon workout three to five times per week. We also have dry land exercises, weight training and meetings. My campus is really beautiful and I love training there.
You also focus on a secondary career, modeling, what has that been like?
I was doing more modeling in Houston and when I moved to Boston, as a teenager, I was more of a fitness model. The market is smaller in Boston but I was able to shoot an international campaign for a top athletic company before COVID. Everything slowed down during the height of COVID and I moved to Miami in Summer of 2021. Before NIL, an athlete could not profit from their name, image or likeness. In July 2021, the NCAA instituted NIL which changed college athletics. I am fortunate to be in the first wave of athletes able to profit from their name, image and likeness and attend school where one of the leading NIL experts, John Ruiz, has provided deals through his company LifeWallet. There are more modeling opportunities in Miami but I am focused on NIL brand partnerships and companies working with athletes because of the flexibility with school and training.
What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
I would say making National Cuts has been special. There’s been so many great moments and special times. I would say making my National Cuts has felt the best. I remember one summer where I was falling off in my times and it was the final meet of the season. My whole family came to watch me for the finals. I managed to make the time I had wanted to and I felt so proud of myself. When you are able to shave off those hundredths of a second to improve and qualify for a meet it feels tremendously rewarding. It’s such a special moment and nothing really compares to it. High school and college swimming have been really satisfying and I enjoy the camaraderie and bonds with my teammates. Whenever someone has an amazing swim or is going to break a record the whole team is cheering and supporting each other. We also lift each other up during difficult practices and meets.
Final Thoughts
Jacey Hinton has been hard at work recently improving her times in the pool and working on her studies. Being made an NIL athlete has given her a great deal of opportunities but it also places certain restrictions on her time. These restrictions have forced her to take a short break from modeling which she hopes to continue soon. Hinton thoroughly enjoys the sense of camaraderie which comes with swimming and cites improving her times in the pool as some of the highlights of her career so far.
