![]() ![]() This isn’t Sullivan’s first trip to Japan. “Erica, I think, is going to go a lot faster,” Aitken said. He has prepared Sullivan for three years for this summer by timing a training regimen meant to maximize her performance for the Games. ![]() Sandpipers coach Ron Aitken said that though Sullivan didn’t finish as strong as hoped, coming in second without an ideal final kick showed she could make a mark in Japan because there is room for improvement. Sullivan thought she had a chance to make a move on the face of women’s swimming, but Ledecky noticed the charge and promptly left her competitor behind just like she has done so many others. The two faced off at last month’s Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. A swimmer by the name of Katie Ledecky is in the same event. The 20-year-old heads to Tokyo hoping to medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle. Compared with 15-year-old Katie Grimes and 16-year-old Bella Sims, Sullivan certainly is the elder stateswoman. The mood was lighthearted, and she jokingly called herself “the grandma” of the group. Olympic team, Sullivan appeared anything but depressed. Gathered with two of her Sandpipers teammates last month to promote the three making the U.S. Having the unfortunate set of circumstances that I had to go through, I was forced to grow up very, very quickly.” “I just really hadn’t gone through anything in my life. “When I was 16, I was very sheltered,” said Sullivan, who went to Palo Verde High School and swims for Las Vegas-based club Sandpipers of Nevada. ![]() She was depressed over her dad’s death and coming to terms with her identity as a gay person, and her training sessions suffered. A month later, she was on the squad, but Sullivan was a mess. He died three months later.ĭevastated, Erica Sullivan knew her dad wouldn’t want her to quit, especially with her so close to making the national team and all the work they had put into the effort. John Sullivan, who swam collegiately at Wisconsin, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in April 2017. The passion for swimming came from her dad, but suddenly Erica Sullivan knew she couldn’t turn to him anymore. Open swimming championships Thursday, Nov. Erica Sullivan competes in the women's 800 freestyle at the U.S. ![]()
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