Arizona Olympian Looks to Make a Splash in Paris
Another four years have passed and it's time for an event that will shape international relations for years to come. The presidential election is also taking place this year.
I'm of course talking about the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. An event meant to showcase the best of us, and fight for who has athletic superiority.
Regan Smith
Minnesota native Regan Smith is no stranger to winning. Competing as a swimmer since the age of seven, Smith followed her older sister's path and cites her as the main reason she began to compete.
By age 17, Smith had already broken multiple world records and qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She won three medals and then went on to win two gold medals at the 2022 World Aquatic Championships.
As her training continues for the 2024 games, she looked to the Grand Canyon State for guidance.
Bob Bowman
Michael Jordan had Phil Jackson, Tom Brady had Bill Belichick, and Michael Phelps had Bob Bowman.
One of the most successful swim coaches of all time, Bowman takes up residence in Tempe at the ASU campus, and Regan Smith had to take a trip to the Sonoran desert to see him.
Smith now trains with Bowman full-time in Tempe, and she's gotten words of encouragement from not just her coach, but one of the greatest to ever do it: Phelps himself.
Her training is grueling, practicing nine times a week with weight training three times a week. It's all worth it to Smith though. She has something to prove, and can't wait to show that this summer.
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