Swimmers and parents were buzzing with excitement over the next event. Would Katie Hoff break another pool record? Hoff hopped on the blocks and clapped her hands in her trademark style.
No, this wasn’t the scene from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hoff wasn’t in The Cube. It was just a few months later and Hoff was in a 25-yard pool in an Asian community in Atlanta. And she was competing against age group swimmers from the City of Charleston Southern Marlin’s Racing Team and against other USA swim clubs from the East Coast.
Just months after winning one silver and two bronze medals at the 2008 Olympics and making the morning news interview circuit, Hoff was back to the grind, practicing with her North Baltimore swim club and competing against other USA swim clubs in small pools across the country.
The stark contrast between The Cube and Atlanta’s Dynamo club pool was a reminder that the spotlight of the Olympics dims quickly and that hard work in less than glamorous facilities is what leads to the big event.
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