Arizona Desert Dolphin athlete named to the 2010 U.S. Synchronized Swimming National 11-12

Team

The Arizona Desert Dolphins are proud to announce Olivia Ekberg, age 12 from Gilbert, Arizona was

named to the 2010 US Synchronized Swimming National Team. The team trials were held at the world

famous IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis. Olivia was part of a group of 32 girls qualified to compete

in the trials.

Olivia, along with 9 other athletes will represent the United States at the 2010 Pan American Age

Group Competition in Lima, Peru this fall.

When asked what the hardest part was in training for the National Team trials, Olivia said, “Training

six days a week was really hard, and I had to learn the competition trial routine in only two weeks.”

Since the age of 7, Olivia has been swimming with the Arizona Desert Dolphins and has trained up to

20 hours per week. Her goal is to continue to compete in synchro through high school and has hopes of

earning a scholarship to Ohio State University for synchro.

Olivia’s summer plans will be to attend the National Age Group Competition in Buffalo, New York in

June where she’ll swim her solo, trio and team events, with her Desert Dolphin team mates. Then she is

off to Lake Placid, New York to train for 6 weeks at the Olympic Training Center before leaving for

Peru.

“I’m really excited to be a part of the National Team this year. It’s the first time in the United States that

an 11-12 National Team has competed internationally before. I’m also really excited because I hope to

be named as the soloist to represent the United States too, but I won’t know until after the competition

in June.”

If you want to know more about synchronized swimming or about the Arizona Desert Dolphins visit

their website at www.azdolphins.com or call 480.313.4350. You can also track Olivia’s National team

journey by visiting our blog at www.azdesertdolphins.blogspot.com.