Most would find it hard to believe that BYU swimmer Rachel Grant has not always loved the water, but she remembers a time when it scared her.

"My dad would have to push me in the water," Grant said.

She began swimming on a summer team when she was only six years old. At her first meet, Grant remembers she did not even know how to dive.

Those fears are far behind her now.

By the time she was eight, Grant's coach recognized her potential and told her she should begin to compete year-round. She has been swimming competitively ever since.

As a freshman at BYU, she consistently placed at the top of her individual events and contributed to many of the winning relay teams. Grant also holds the Mountain West Conference record in the 400 individual medley event and was named swimmer of the week three times throughout the season.

Grant's swimming ambitions reach far beyond collegiate competition. Grant hopes to compete in this year's summer Olympics in Beijing.

Grant was born in Hong Kong and moved to Southern California when she was a toddler. She still holds dual citizenship and plans to try out for the Hong Kong Olympic swim team.

In the off season, the BYU swim team only practices once a day, but in addition to the team practice, Grant spends time each day at the pool training on her own to prepare for the Olympic trials in Hong Kong this month.

The Olympic trials in Hong Kong take place April 18-21. Grant plans to leave for Hong Kong at the beginning of April and will consequently be missing the last weeks of school and finals.

Grant has been swimming almost constantly for the last 12 years of her life. Doing the same thing for so long can take its toll, but Grant chooses to see the positive side of things.

"This is something I really have a passion for and I really enjoy it and have fun for myself," Grant said. "If things are getting hard, I remember why I love it so much."

Although Grant has spent most of her life in the United States, she says Hong Kong is very much a part of who she is. Her mom is Chinese and her family frequently visits relatives that still reside in Hong Kong.

Grant's parents mentioned the possibility of competing in the Olympics two years ago. By the time she graduated from high school, Grant had decided that it was something she wanted to pursue.

The day after graduation, Grant flew to Hong Kong to begin the process of qualifying to compete for Hong Kong's team.

Grant hopes to compete in the 200-meter butterfly and the 400-meter individual medley events. As of right now, her best time in the individual medley is two seconds faster than the qualifying time, and she is just two-tenths of a second away from meeting the time in the butterfly.

To qualify, she must swim qualifying times at the trials. Swimming in Hong Kong is not exactly the same as a college swim meet. Grant says she is used to warming up just before a race, but at the trials she must sit with other competitors in her event for up to 40 minutes awaiting her turn to race. Grant says all the waiting gives her time to get nervous.

If all goes according to plan, Grant will fly to Hong Kong in July to train with the national team and then go on to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Until then Grant will "stay motivated and keep the ultimate goal in sight."

"Having a goal is what pushes me in practice," Grant said.

Copyright Brigham Young University 8 Apr 2008