RISING THROUGH THE RANKS: ARENA GRAND PRIX AT ORLANDO PREVIEW

BY MIKE GUSTAFSON//CORRESPONDENT

Here’s a message to every high school senior who places no higher than 10th at his or her respective high school state championships: You can become an Olympian. (Don’t laugh – it’s true.) All it takes is the right environment, circumstances, and work ethic. 

Just ask Conor Dwyer. The Winnetka, Illinois native and now Gainesville trained swimmer went from being a 5’7”unheard-of high school junior to a 6’5” NCAA Champion at the University of Florida in only four years. (Dwyer grew over five inches in college alone.) Growth spurts have something to do with Dwyer’s quick, rapid ascension up the swim hierarchy (the taller you are, the greater your wingspan, the more water you pull, the faster you become…) but it has more to do with his determination to actively position himself among the best. 

What’s that old adage? If you want to be the best, surround yourself with the best? 

That’s exactly what Dwyer did. While a sophomore at the University of Iowa, Dwyer was a fine swimmer. He broke a school record in the 100 free. He was among the best Big Ten swimmers in the 200 free. But something was missing. He knew he had to challenge himself even more, to place himself in an environment where the best swimmers in the world congregated and trained. So he transferred to the University of Florida to train under Olympic coach Gregg Troy and alongside freestyle phenoms Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay. The training obviously paid off: Dwyer went from SEC Champion to NCAA Champion to Olympics qualifier to Olympic gold medalist in just over two years in Gainesville. 

Not bad for a kid who was barely recruited out of high school. read more...