Q&A
Why did you start synchronized swimming?
I started ballet when I was five, and swimming when I was seven. I liked the water and was very successful in swimming, but my heart belonged to music and dance. One day I watched my sister at a synchronized swimming competition and it just fascinated me. Synchronized swimming is like a dance in the water.

What is it like being on the U.S. team versus the Russian team?
I always wished to be on a team where people really cared about their teammates, worked really hard, but had fun at the same time. I didn't feel like we ever had that on the Russian team. I saw it here so much that I just felt like I had to be part of it.

What is training like for synchronized swimming?
During a normal day we start with plyometrics (exercises that increase leg strength, speed, and vertical leaping strength). We do a lot of laps in the pool and different exercises for synchronized swimming endurance. We do a lot of alignment work, which is vertical work, upside-down, and balance. We also have dance and gymnastics classes.

What do you do to coordinate your moves?
Our coach is a big part of it. She teaches us unselfishness and sacrifice for the team. We choreograph the routine and practice in the pool. We also go over the routines out of the water, called land drills.

What makes synchronized swimming unique is that it has to be exactly synchronized. Even a half-second difference in our moves can cost us a big deduction in score points. It takes a long time to synchronize a team.

Are you ready for the Olympic Games?
My specific goal is to win the duet and team event at the Olympic Games.

The Olympic Spirit in YOU!
Synchronized swimmers have a vision in their mind of exactly what each team member is doing. Having a vision of what you will do can help you make positive choices. People with a vision say things like this:

I will, or, I can. I take responsibility for my choices. I believe in myself.

People without vision say things like this:

I can't, or, I won't. Do I have to, or, if only. He or she makes me so mad.

For one day, listen to how you talk. How often do you use the positive? How often do you use the negative? How can you be more positive?

More Interviews

Akhnaten Spencer-El Alison Dunlap Anna Kozlova Barb Kunkel Chris Witty Dominique Moceanu Dan O'Brien Hunter Kemper

Jimmy Pedro Kevin Han Lindsay Davenport Laura Wilkinson Lisa Fernandez Mark Ruiz Ruthie Bolton-Holifield Tom Malchow

With thanks to Bob Schaller. For more great stories about Olympians, ask your librarian about The Olympic Dream and Spirit, Vol. 1,2, and 3, with Mr. Schaller, and Awaken the Olympian Within compiled by John Naber.