From the amount of time Karen Hendrick has spent in the pool—and from her family history of swimming—one might suspect that she’s been hiding fins and gills under her swimsuit.
Hendrick started swimming at the age of 5, due to her mom’s insistence. However, it was her older sister who sparked Karen’s interest in swimming competitively.
“Every time that we got into the pool, I would always try to beat her,” Hendrick said.
If it weren’t for sibling rivalry, Hendrick may never have ended up as a shining star in swimming. Currently, courtesy of the vigorous training from her coach Mike Ashmore, Hendrick has been setting impressive times that are taking her to CIF.
“I’m excited, because there are going to be a lot of recruiters at CIF,” she said.
Hendrick will compete in five events: 200 IM, 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle, and 100 fly. She said there will also be a relay, so college recruiters will most likely notice her.
Hendrick is hoping she’ll catch the eye of someone from either Washington State or West Virginia—but she has time for them to offer her a deal since she’s only a junior.
This article appears in Apr 22-29, 2010.