by Travis Haese  | Staff Writer

As the swimming season continues, the training is getting harder. The championships are just around the corner, and Johnson swimmers are pushing their bodies to the limit in preparation.

“Holiday training is the hardest because championship season is coming up,” junior Cameron Wickes said. “Right before championship season, we do this training technique called tapering which is where we rest a lot because our bodies are so broken down. The sudden amount of rest that we get allows them to be built up a lot.”

The athletes are swimming excessive amounts a day as they endure training that requires physical fitness and stamina.

“We do the most yards and the hardest sets during the Christmas break and the beginning of January until the third week in January, and that is when the hardest training is,” Wickes said. “During the break I swam around eight and a half miles a day total from all the yards added up.”

Before championships start, Johnson Swimming will compete in other events. District competition will be held during the last week in January and regional competition will occur in mid-February.

“[We will swim against] Churchill and Reagan, definitely,” Wickes said. “But our relays are going to be fast and we have a lot of individual swimmers as well.”

Wickes is confident of his team’s ability and holds high expectations of Johnson’s success.

“We will be a threat to the other schools during districts and regionals, that’s for sure.”