It’s now not often that a metropolis boasts a schooling center for global-elegance athletes. And for nearby athletes who grew up with the Olympic Training Center simply down the street, it’s easy for them to miss what’s possible at 1 Olympic Plaza. On Friday, but, members of the Rampart High School girls’ swimming and diving crew had the possibility to look the centers from a new attitude thanks in component to the metropolis of Colorado Springs and 2016 Olympian Olivia Smoliga.

We teach here a lot for our membership group, and I think now and again we forget about that this is a surely unique area, and we are able to draw so much proposal from here,” stated Rampart senior Edenna Chen. I suppose we forget approximately that because it’s part of ordinary lifestyles for us. I bear in mind looking (Smoliga) at the Olympics and stuff and she or he’s such an inspiration. It’s surely superb to be reminded of why we swim and use this as motivation for success.

Smoliga, the U.S. Document holder in the 50 backstrokes, is schooling in Colorado Springs for the World Championships. She spoke with the Rampart athletes and answered questions on her achievement in the sport — and approximately her hair and skin-care exercises. Smoliga recalled the primary time she visited the education center when she turned into 16. Right then I of route wanted to train right here and I desired to visit the Olympics, but I think what’s additionally so vital is to keep in mind the journey it takes to get there,” Smoliga stated. “I nevertheless remember going to school country championships, and to at the moment it’s nonetheless certainly one of my favorite occasions.

Don’t suppose that whilst you guys come here to educate, or make your first crew, that high school state wasn’t a lead thing in pushing to the swimmer that you at some point want to be,” she said. Smoliga asked the country champions in the event that they dreamed of at some point going to the Olympics. After a few coaxing, swimmers bashfully raised their hands. I suppose we’re surely greater decided to paintings closer to that goal now,” Chen stated. “It’s, in reality, each youngster’s dream to visit the Olympics, but it’s obviously a virtually hard feat, so we’re excited to start working harder closer to it.

The Rampart crew become invited for the excursion after prevailing again-to-again Class 4A nation championships. The athletes also met Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, who congratulated the Rams on their accomplishments. It’s quite a feat to win a state championship, and pretty every other to do it once more the following 12 months,” Suthers said. “At that (point) it’s now not a pipe dream, however quite of an expectation that has the introduced undertaking of having the entire kingdom out to dethrone you. To that, I need to congratulate Rampart High School and the women’ swimming crew on their 2nd nation title.

The Rams broke the 4A kingdom document within the 200 medley relay for the second year in a row on the manner to their 2nd identity. In general, the Rams claimed five out of 12 occasions en path to the national championship, beating the second one-vicinity team, Niwot, with the aid of 62.5 factors. Chen, who additionally broke an character record within the 100 breaststrokes on her way to nation gold, aspires to swim at the college degree and past.
I did need to try to qualify for the Olympic trials inside the one hundred breaststroke, so we can see how that is going, however, I’m in reality going to paintings hard for that, specifically now that we’ve heard Olivia’s tale.