AJ stands for Andrew Jackson, our 7th president. His reputation for toughness earned him the nickname "Old Hickory." A hero of the War of 1812, Jackson has appeared on the $20 bill since 1928.

Most of us have dreams that we hold dear, such as being a famous actor or musician, or being the mind behind the next great computer, or maybe even being the best in some particular sport.

These two athletes decided at any early age to become world-class in their sports. They trained their bodies and minds.  They sought the payoff for their hard work in the Olympic games. 

Success in the world pool

In sync with Stephanie Nesbitt.

Meet Setphanie Nesbitt

 

• Member of the 2004 Athens Olympic team;
• Member of the 2003 Pan Am and World Championship teams;
• Two-time Nationals fourth place team finisher;
• Four-time West Zone Billie MacKellar Scholarship Award Winner (1998-2001);
• Has been on the National team for the past three years;
• Two-time USSS Junior All-American (2000-2001).

CloseStephanie Nesbitt, age 18 when interviewed for this story, lives in Riverside, California, and has been competing in synchronized swimming since she was nine.Stephanie was inspired when she watched other synchronized swimmingWhat's Synchronized Swimming?

Watch the Japanese team compete in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.

CloseIn synchronized swimming, a team of swimmers perform dance movements in the water, all doing the same thing at the same time.

Synchronized swimming events have different numbers of swimmers (duos, trios, etc.) but the main team events have six swimmers.

 teams at the World Cup in 2002. She was 16 years old, and a good swimmer. She decided to train harder, and with a bigger goal.

In the summer of 2004, Stephanie marched in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Athens, Greece.  Her synchronized team won a bronze medal for the United States that year.

"When I was little, I loved to swim," says Stephanie. "I was in the pool all of the time making up routines with my sister, acting like we were the best in the world. It was great."

It's a good thing she likes to swim, because she spends a lot of time in the water.

Stephanie trains 10 hours a day.

Stephanie trains 10 hours a day

"Right now I am training about eight to ten hours a day," says Stephanie. "That includes eight hours in the water and about two hours of land training."

Stephanie's training includes:

• Cardiovascular training (such as running, biking and kickboxing);
• Strength training (lifting weights and mat exercises);
• Flexibility training;
• Land drills (memorizing routines' moves out of the water);
• Psychological training (work on focusing on individual and team goals).

Close

What motivates her?

Stephanie says her motivation to try to make the Olympic team came from within herself, not from others.

"I don't recall there ever being a specific moment when I stepped back and actually thought about being as good as these other athletes," she says.

"My improvement all happened so quickly for me, and I always had such high expectations for myself; nothing was ever good enough."

Read on to learn about another teenager with Olympic dreams...

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