Linn-Mar’s Drake chasing Olympic dream

CEDAR RAPIDS - The largest swimming event in the nation will call Omaha, Neb., home this summer.

The 2016 Olympic Swimming Trials will be held in the Century Link Center from June 26 through July 3. Swimmers from across the country are trying to qualify for the Trials in 13 different individual men's and women's events.

The nation's fastest swimmers in each event are all competing for a chance to make the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, which will compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August.

Linn-Mar High School junior Kelsey Drake already has made the cut in the 100-meter butterfly by two-hundredths of a second with a time of 1:01.17. She qualified in the event last July at the Iowa State Swimming Long Course Champion in Iowa City. Drake is ranked 48th out of 51 swimmers in the 18-and-under qualifying group. The top time in her event comes in at 57.87.

As a sophomore, Drake won two state titles for Linn-Mar, the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley, before deciding to take this season off and focus on the Trials. Practices for Drake include two-and-a-half hours of swimming every week night, plus two mornings per week. In addition to pool time, she also lifts weights every Monday and Wednesday mornings. If there is not a swim meet on the weekends, Drake will swim three hours on Saturday and take Sunday off.

'There never really was a defining moment where I thought I am going to start training for Trials,” Drake said. 'When I was a lot younger I told my mom I was going to swim in the Olympics. Once I got a little older, I realized it would be very hard to make it to that stage. I really want to try and go as far as I can.”

Drake hopes to qualify in the 200 butterfly, as well, and is within a second from the cut.

'Kelsey is the type of athlete that refuses to let anything get between her goals,” said Brian Ruffles, one of Drake's main swim coaches. 'Her commitment to the sport is what separates her from other athletes in that she is willing to make tough decisions and sacrifices to achieve her dreams.”

Drake has been swimming since the age of 5. Some of her earlier swim influences include her older brother and Missy Franklin.

'I looked up to my brother and saw him competing at the zone level and wanted to follow in his footsteps,” Drake said.

In seventh grade, Drake started to dedicate her life to swimming and take her talents to the next level. On June 26, she will find out how far her talents will take her.