Simon Weyer ’19 discusses running cross country and track, his interest in brewing beer and how he became interested in calisthenics and bodyweight fitness.
What, outside of academics, are you most proud of in your time at Wooster?
I’d say I’m most proud of my time with track and cross country. Personally, I’m most proud of breaking two minutes in the 800 meters, but more important than that has just been the connections I’ve made with people on both those teams and the people I’ve met there; Wooster wouldn’t be what it is without those unexpected connections and relationships.
Sounds like you’re busy -— how do you balance all the things you do?
I think being so busy helps to keep a good schedule and keeps me organized. Practice is at four o’clock every day, so I try to get as much done from when I wake up until four o’clock. Ideally, I have the evenings where I don’t have too much to do — with I.S. that’s changed a bit — but having a lot of things to do keeps me motivated.
Is there anything that ties together your academic and non-academic interests? Or are they separate?
Well, with my I.S., I’m actually combining archaeology and brewing — in the simplest terms, I’m looking at how three different ancient cultures brewed beers, looking at their processes and their ingredients and how they used to do that. So that ties some of them together pretty neatly.
My next question was going to ask what job you’d pick if you had to choose something totally outside of your academic major, but it sounds like you’ve answered that! Would you be a brewer?
Yes!
How did you learn?
I was always sort of interested in beer, and then one of the guys I’ve lived with for the past three years talked to me about if I’d be interested in looking into brewing. So we just started doing it together, learning more and more, and then it kind of just took over and it became a passion of mine.
What’s your personal review of the Wooster beer scene?
Well, there’s not a ton of places. The brewery downtown is absolutely amazing; I love the people down there; they always have good beer. So, it’s only one spot, but it’s top notch.
What do you think has changed the most in yourself over your years at Wooster?
I think I’ve definitely become more open to different ideas and beliefs.
Especially in high school, I just had one friend group and we all thought the same things, believed the same things, had the same political ideologies — and then you come to Wooster and it’s just so different and so diverse. It’s different from what I was used to, and I think I’ve really grown in that sense, grown to respect and understand and be aware of a lot of other peoples and cultures.
I’ve heard about your “Flag Fridays.” What are those about?
Flag Fridays are when every Friday I go out and do a human flag: it’s where you grab a pole or a tree and you hold your body out sideways, like a flag. It’s part of calisthenics, which I do as one of my hobbies. I started working out with my older brothers when I was in high school, and I got really into bodyweight fitness and calisthenics and found all these incredible isommetric holds and fell in love with doing it. I just think it’s a lot more fun than weight lifting — I’m getting fit, and I’m having so much fun doing it, so it’s a win-win.
Have you ever participated in calisthenics competitively?
I’ve done Alpha Warrior, which is similar to American Ninja Warrior. I didn’t make it through to the next levels, but it was an incredible experience, and I want to do American Ninja Warrior in the future.
What motivates you when you’re doing or training for all these incredibly exhausting things?
That’s a good question — I don’t really know if I have a good answer. It’s just something I really love to do. I really enjoy movement, and being able to perform movements that a lot of people just haven’t seen before drives me a little bit, and in another respect it’s just pushing myself to my limit and the limit of the human body, just to see how far I can go.
Interview by Robyn Newcomb, a Viewpoints Editor for the Voice (Photo taken from Instagram).