Olympic dreaming

With all the excitement surrounding the Olympics in Beijing, you have to live in a cave if you haven't seen American Michael Phelps win one of his eight gold medals. Or catch a view of 40-something Dara Torres cruise by competitors more than 20 years her junior.

In a sport that gets less recognition than the predominant ones, the Indianola High School varsity swimmers are living in the moment - as is the sport itself.

Indianola senior Anna Aldridge was fortunate enough to get to Omaha to witness the Olympic trials and to see Phelps live.

Phelps secured eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, breaking the 36-year-old record. He reset seven new world records and has 13 career gold medals. His eight on one Olympiad broke the record of seven set my Mark Spitz in 1972.

"To see him live is pretty amazing," Aldridge said. "It's crazy to see him on (television), breaking all these records. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Witnessing history aside, the swimmers are learning a few new things from watching the Olympics. They all see what the benefits of hard work can accomplish.

"It shows that getting up early to practice and all the hard work they put in," said Indianola senior Hillary Criswell. "That's cool, because that is what we all have to do."

Watching the swimmers style has changed routines for the swimmers.

Aldridge learned a little something from watching the American swimmers, including the sideways dolphin kick from off the wall.

"I watched the style and how they move their feet. I have been doing a lot of stretching to my ankle to help with my kick," Aldridge said

Will the current popularity of the sport parlay into bigger roster numbers for high school swimming? The answer is yes and no said Indianola coach Kurt Lickiss.

"Every Olympic year, we'll have 20 more kids out the following year an extra five then the year after that we're back to normal," Lickiss said. "I can't think of a swimmer that is out because of the Olympics.

"But the kids that are out, it really motivates them. They get fired up."