March 30-April 3, 2010

Aquasol swimmer and El Dorado High School Freshman, Kevin Mertz, attended an intense 5-day training program at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Kevin was selected along with 21 other Sierra Nevada Swimmers to participate at the center located on the former NORAD base at 7,000' feet above sea level.

The conditioning sessions lasted for 2 hours twice each day.  In addition, the athletes received information on nutrition, goal setting, substance abuse and dry land conditioning.

Kevin says the highlight of the Center is the cafeteria.  Open most of the day and night; there was no limit on the freshly prepared food and ice cream available to the athletes.  The cafeteria was also the central point of the facility where athletes including India's wrestling team, synchronized swimmers, US Judo members, Para-Olympians and other resident athletes mingled.

Kevin represented Aquasol and Sierra Nevada Swimming well earning an award for his efforts during the training sessions.

VIDEO CLIP from Sierra Nevada Training Camp: Butterfly Breathing Drill
While there, the coaches placed an emphasis on getting athletes out of their comfort zones and trying new things.  In this video, coach Debbie Walker of California Capital Aquatics explains the 200 butterfly breathing drill. Kyle Castro of Vacaville Swim Club, Kevin Mertz of AquaSol Swim Team and Kayla Nakamoto of California Capital Aquatics demonstrate.

In the video, Kevin is doing a drill and then being interviewed.  He starts about half way through.  He is the boy not wearing a swim cap.