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At just 13-years-old, Kristen Shickora of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania qualified for the Olympic trials with the Parkland Area Aquatic Club. She shares what it's like to compete at such a level.

I guess it's every swimmer's dream to someday swim at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but never did I think it would happen to me.

In March 2004, my coach Aran Glancy told me my time in the 100 backstroke was only two seconds off the Olympic Trials cut. I was already in mid-taper for a big meet at the University of Maryland in two weeks. The timing was right for going faster. I was so excited I couldn't think of anything else.

The morning of the race, I told my coach I wanted to make the cut during morning prelims even though I don't usually swim my best in the morning. Even though I had an outside, and usually slowest, lane, I gave it all I had.

When I hit the wall and saw my time of 1:04.56, I was shocked. I needed a 1:04.59 to make the Trials cut. Later that night I placed first at finals with a time of 1:04.43.

For the next four months I practiced two hours a day, six days a week for the U.S. Olympic Trials, which were held July 7-14 in Long Beach, California.

I got to Long Beach on the Sunday before Trials started. On my first day of practice I found myself warming up in the lane with Michael Phelps, who is trying to win eight medals at the Olympics in Athens and break Mark Spitz's record. It was the most exciting part of my trip.

I swam my race Thursday morning. Going into the race I was seated 46th of 54 swimmers and finished 31st. It's hard to believe I was actually there. Though I did better than expected it wasn't enough to make the U.S. Olympic team.

After taking a few weeks off, I plan to continue swimming with the Parkland Area Aquatic Club and hope that maybe I'll have another chance to go to the Olympics in four years - 2008.

-- Kristen Shickora of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania swam in the U.S. Olympic Trials

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