While most kids spend their summers sleeping in and laying in the sun, Freshman Alexa Tchekmarev has a different idea of fun.
Alexa spends her summer days training for eight hours at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center with the 13-15 years USA Synchronized Swimming Team.
Beginning competition in synchronized swimming at the age of eight, Alexa got her interest in synchronized swimming from her mother
Alexa’s mother, Olga Kouznetsova, won USSR and European Championships while swimming with her nation’s team.
En route to pursuing her goals of swimming for Team USA in 2012, Alexa became a member on the 13-15 years National Team this past summer.
“To become a member of the national 13-15 team we had to place in the top 16 in the figure competition to move on to phase two,” explained team member Katie Spada. “Then we were judged individually and ranked, the top ten were placed on the team.”
Tchekmarev’s commitment to the team is year round, although the bulk of the training of the season occurs during the summer.
“The hardest thing about being on a committed team is the man hours of practice” Tchekmarev said.
Everyday of the week her team spends 2 hours on land and 8 in the water training.
“By the end of the day we’re asking ourselves, why are we doing this again?” Tchekmarev explained. “[Only to remember] oh yeah, we all want to be on the Olympic Team.”
Spada sees major potential in Tchekmarev.
“Alexa is very flexible and a great gymnast” Spada said.
To prepare for London 2012, Tchekmarev swims major competitions such the Pan American Games, Worlds, US Nationals, Swiss opens, Rome Opens.
“My biggest goal for the future is making it on the Olympic Team and competing in 2012 London [Olympics] and going to Stanford University” Alexa said.
