Italy

I don’t even know where to start. My trip to Italy was more than amazing!!

In the summer of 2019, I was invited to participate in the synchronized swimming Olympic Development Camp (ODC) in Italy. Fifteen girls were invited by USA Synchro (based on your scores at meets during the year) to travel to Rome for two weeks to work with former Olympians who were now coaches for the sport.

I remember as I walked into my dorm, I was questioning if this was even real. I recall looking at my best friend (who was also invited) and thinking WOW this is unbelievable! I was filled with feelings of anxiousness, nervousness, and happiness all at the same time. I had heard from so many athletes who had participated in this camp how hard it really was, how demanding the coaches were, and that the training literally went on for endless hours during the day. It was scary! I trained for 8 weeks to get ready for camp. I was determined to not fail while I was there and to be able to keep up with everything the coaches asked.

As the training began,  I realized that it was going to take a lot of hard work to push through the next two weeks. No parents were allowed at the camp and athletes were in another country going through this alone. We trained at a sports complex outside Rome right on the ocean and we would swim outside in the morning and inside in the afternoon. As the weeks progressed, we ended up training outside in the mornings and in the afternoons. A day of training consisted of 5 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon. Not all in the pool - there was a lot of land training, too. I am so glad that I spent so many hours keeping in shape over the summer so that I would not collapse at the camp. 

Each day, we woke up at 7 a.m. and started with an hour on land. The land consisted of work in flexibility, endurance, cardio, and stretching. Land training was one of the hardest components of the camp because working in the hot humid air outside definitely enhanced the difficulty of the sets that were given to us. After we finished land from 8 to 9, we would take a short snack break and mentally prepare to get into the water. With the sun being so strong, many of us had to put Desitin (which is baby diaper rash cream) on our faces so we would not burn in the hot sun. 

Jumping into the water was a relief as my body was steaming hot. The first jump always calmed my body down and relaxed my nervousness. We would spend 2 hours warming up with laps. The laps consisted of freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, underwater “eggbeaters,” ballet legs, and different choreography. The laps were to increase our endurance. When performing a routine, you must move quickly to get into position or get to another part of the pool so laps are critical to our training. The challenging part about the pool we practiced in was that it was not 25 meters (like in the US) but 50!  When I noticed this, I was a little overwhelmed because it was a big change for me as now the laps were doubled.

The more I practiced in this larger pool, the more comfortable I became. I wasn't as stressed and I was having more fun. When we had finished the laps, I was definitely tired but, for me, the hardest part of the day was over. After lap swim, we moved into the more exciting drills involving lifts, figures, extension, and improv. Sometimes the coaches would get into the water with us to practice, which is an unbelievable experience. This part of the training lasted another 2 hours and the coaches motivated us with fun music. 

Lunch followed and it was always amazing and delicious! I can't even describe how good the Italian pizza was. We would walk to the restaurant and eat so many different Italian dishes, which had so much flavor that completely changed my palate. I remember the olive oil and bread being one of my favorite things. 

After lunch, we went to the dorms to rest for another 2 hours. Usually, during this time, I would have a protein bar, chat with my dorm roommates, and take a nap. It was difficult to re-motivate and jump back into the pool but I always pushed through. I was surprised at how my body was responding - I was grateful that my body was ready to train like this.

The afternoon practices started at 3:30 pm and lasted until 7:30 pm. We would break into smaller groups and focus on routines. Our sport involves many dance movements and choreography that need to look like we are moving together as ONE. Our coaches would throw-in improv competitions and one time, when we thought we were going to have practice, they surprised us with going to the beach for the day. We only had two off days out of the 14 we were there. We did get to tour around Rome and see a lot of the city. Another time, we learned how to salsa from one of the Spanish Olympic coaches! That experience was truly amazing because I absolutely love to dance and learned a new way to move my hips with an expert. 

Looking back on the camp, I can honestly say that the memories that were made were not only about just the technical training from the coaches, but also being with girls from all around the country. We created a special bond that we will have forever. I still keep in touch with many of the swimmers to this day and if I could repeat this experience I would in a heartbeat!