Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/180483
atHletic Programs Fitness Classes 206.839.4781 • Aquatics 206.464.3086 • wac.net/athletics Dreaming big Mike COMeR/PROSWiM ViSuaLS; uSa SWiMMinG (inSet) By Naomi Thalenberg How a small-town girl became a champion swimmer ARIANA KuKORS KNOWS THE MEANING OF AMBITION. In 2009, she set the current world record in the women's 200-meter individual medley. She went on to represent the u.S. in the event at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where she placed fifth. Now, the 24-year-old swimmer will share her secrets of success with WAC youngsters (see sidebar). Kukors first fell in love with the water during family boat trips in the Pacific Northwest. When her older sister, Emily, started swimming, it inspired Ariana to take up the sport as well. At age 5, she joined her first competitive swim team, in her hometown of Auburn, and began to develop her passion. "People always joke about how swimmers spend their life looking at a black line," she says. "But the pool is where I learned how to dream." Kukors' dreams were nearly devastated in 2008, when she missed the u.S. Olympic team by eight-hundredths of a second. Instead of walking away, she decided to keep trying. "You have to take an experience and grow," she says. Missing the Olympic team, she says, taught her a lot about herself and determination. A year later, she swam the fastest 200 individual medley ever at the World Championships in Rome. Since the 2012 Olympics, Kukors has retired from swimming. She earned a business degree from Chapman university in 2011 and has embraced a new dream—helping young people set their own goals, nurture self-motivation, and navigate obstacles and doubt. "It's not like I had a special swimming advantage over others," she says. "I was just a little girl with a big dream. I chose swimming, but the same hard work and dedication goes with anything else you do." 46 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | OCTOBER 2013 Dream clinic Kids ages 11–16 are invited to join Olympian ariana Kukors for a hands-on interactive Dream Clinic in the WaC gym and card room, both located on the 8th Floor, on Saturday, October 26. Participants will work closely with Kukors to create a dream board, discuss personal struggles, learn about positive affirmation, and more. For more information and registration, contact athletics@wac.net.