Full Name: Varun Swarup
Year: Coterm (1st year grad)
Hometown: Calcutta, India
Major: Mechanical Engineering (Design Methodology)
Squash Team Nickname: Big V
Squash Background: Varun started playing squash his sophomore summer in college after being convinced by his South African roommate that it was an easier sport
for a beginner to pick up than tennis. Later in the summer, Varun was spotted by assistant coach Zan Feilds, who asked him to try out for the team in the coming fall. Hearing about Mark Talbott's arrival inspired Varun to practice hard between then and the fall, but despite making it to the last eight in the tryouts and subsequently winning the round-robin of eight,
Varun was not taken on the team because of his relatively high junior academic standing. But Varun's new dream of playing on an American college sport team was did not end.
A few exchanges with Mark Talbott later, he was invited onto the team with an e-mail saying, "Varun, thank you for your mail. See you at the courts at 3! -Mark Talbott."
Varun's journey since then has been up and down. His improvement as a squash player was retarded severely by compartment syndrome in his shin area, and as of December 2006, Varun has temporarily retired from the game
till he has surgery done on his legs once he graduates in June 2007. Varun hopes to get back to squash by the end of this year and continue on the courts of the Calcutta clubs where he left off with Stanford Squash.
Interests Outside Squash: neutral-steering cars, how things work, massage therapy, social entrepreneurship, energy resources, cricket, tennis.
Favorite Squash Team Story: Every time Mark Talbott's presence is announced on the plane when we are travelling: "Ladies an gentlemen, on the plane is thirteen-time squash
world champion Mark Talbott with the Stanford University men's squash team." Everyone claps, and Mark blushes.
Crumple or fold? You can't crumple or fold water. That's the beauty of the Indian way.